CHICAGO — Tech company ShiftPixy about 18 months ago started developing a ghost kitchen, planning a delivery-only business with virtual brands, a mobile app and loyalty program, and doubling as a lab for restaurants interested in trying the technology.
The company bought and analyzed customer data from third-party delivery companies to better understand likely customers, and it learned many delivery customers play lots of video games.
“Your average gamer is 34 years old,” said Jordan Mauriello, founder of More Yellow, which helps connect brands with gaming influencers. “Forty-five percent of the gamers in the U.S. are women. So, we have this really diverse segment that’s huge, that brands can connect to.”
Some restaurants also are starting to recognize the gamer as a distinct consumer type and adapting their marketing plans. Chipotle launched its gamer strategy in 2019 to connect with Gen Z consumers, learning that young people were watching less TV and movies and playing more video games. Thus started Chipotle’s attempts to become endemic to the gaming world, partaking at in-person gaming events and later partnering with well-known gamers and establishing itself on platforms like Fortnite and Twitch, a video game streaming service.
Wingstop is also courting gamers. “Our approach was to capture a huge segment of the population that are heavy [quick-service restaurant (QSR)] users that are not users of Wingstop and convert them to our brand,” CEO Charlie Morrison said recently on a call with investors.
Soon after, it released a commercial promoting its boneless wings that riffed on the “boneless dance” popularized by Fortnite, an online battle royale game with tens of millions of players.
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