OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- It’s no secret that Americans love comfort food. From California-style burgers to Midwest mac and cheese to New England lobster rolls, comfort foods make up our national identity, which is perhaps why they have enjoyed such staying power on restaurant menus and in convenience stores across the country.
The National Restaurant Association’s 2015 What’s Hot Culinary Trend Report lists comfort food as a perennial favorite for American eaters. While everyone has an opinion on their personal favorite comfort food, perhaps one item above all others stands out as the king of comfort food: the corn dog.
Symbolizing family fun and special events, corn dogs hold a special place in consumers’ hearts for the memories they evoke and the classic taste they deliver. But like many delicious comfort food items, the corn dog has recently bumped into another powerful consumer trend: health consciousness.
Consumers young and old continue to take an ever-increasing interest in their personal health and in the nutrition found in the foods they eat. But they still want the nostalgic comfort foods they crave, which is why companies such as Foster Farms are creating new solutions that offer classic comfort-food flavors while also serving 8 grams of protein and a good source of iron without any trans fats.
The intersection of health and comfort is particularly important when it comes to millennials—dubbed the “Grab-N-Go Generation” by Chicago-based research firm Technomic. Millennials value flavor and quality but also have a strong sense of their own nutritional needs. They view food purchases as a form of self-expression, so the nostalgic draw of Americana and traditional comfort food, as well as the belief in their right to choose when and how they eat, make corn dogs an enticing offering.
But the appeal of corn dogs isn’t limited to just millennial consumers. As a whole, Americans spent on average $400 million dollars on corn dogs in each of the past three years. As companies such as Foster Farms continue to combine the handheld convenience of corn dogs with classic flavors and better-for-you ingredients, corn dogs will continue to be a powerful driver for c-store visits in years to come.
For c-stores, corn dogs provide a strong opportunity to boost foodservice sales with comfort foods. Retailers can boost incremental revenue even further by bundling corn dogs in combo meals or highlighting in signage and promotional materials.
This post is sponsored by Foster Farms