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Korean friend Chicken

C-Stores Heat Up Chicken Programs

Chicken offers c-stores an ideal platform for incorporating the bolder, hotter flavors customers crave.

Even as consumers’ tastes evolve and younger generations say, “the spicier, the better,” chicken remains a popular menu item for convenience stores. 

In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2018, Americans were projected to have eaten a record 93 pounds of chicken per person.

Its unwavering popularity and serious versatility makes chicken a great platform for other trends, like flavor mash-ups and extra spice — and offers c-stores an easy way to balance innovation and convenience. 

FLAVORS AND FORMS
Chicago-based market research firm Datassential’s SCORES database tracks limited-time offers (LTOs) and new product launches. The firm asks consumers to rate them on a variety of metrics in order to determine how appealing a product is and how likely it is to be successful.

“One of the things that I noticed with the high-scoring items is a use of chicken as a platform for a lot of other trends in the industry,” said Jackie Rodriguez, Datassential senior project manager. 

She said “chicken can go way beyond the traditional” — and cites the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Sub from Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based c-store chain QuickChek as an example.

“Buffalo chicken and mac and cheese are two of consumers’ favorite items, but because it’s a c-store item, where handhelds are really important, they put it in a submarine sandwich platform,” said Rodriguez. “And that did really well in terms of uniqueness.”

She said sandwiches are an easy way to incorporate new flavors and forms, but it’s certainly not the only option. Casey’s General Store, for example, also has Buffalo chicken on the menu: Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

Because pizza is so universally loved, yet consumers are increasingly adventurous when it comes to topping variety, this is a great area to integrate chicken with other trends, too.

The chain has several specialty pizzas that include chicken, such as a Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Pizza and Taco Pizza, which can be topped with either chicken or beef.

But Rodriguez said Caseys’ Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Pizza, an LTO that began in March, was “almost off the charts in terms of consumer appeal.” 

“It might be because it’s something that they don’t always see at a c-store,” she said. “Pizza is a great platform for showcasing chicken, maybe with ingredients that customers haven’t seen before.”

Rodriguez said Datassential found that overall, boneless chicken is preferred for consumers on the go.

Phil Carper, of Phil’s One Stop, a c-store chain in northern Indiana and Ohio, partners with Broaster Co. for its chicken program at six of 18 total locations. He said boneless chicken options, like the chicken tenders, are one of the stores’ best-sellers. “It’s a great product,” he said.

KenJo Markets operator Helen Potter said customers at the company’s Johnson City, Tenn., location, also a Broaster partner, are “always looking for a good value” from chicken foodservice along with grab-and-go convenience. 

Her customers also happen to be looking for chicken liver. “We sell a lot of liver,” she said. “Forty pounds a day.”

Both she and Carper mentioned spicy popcorn chicken as one of the most popular offers, and Potter said customers who typically purchase spicy food are younger, in their 20s or 30s.

SOME LIKE IT HOT
In fact, one of the most significant changes in consumer preference, particularly among young consumers, is an increased taste for spicy food. 

For example, Atlanta-based RaceTrac’s Nashville Hot Chicken Taquito has been a top seller since it launched on Feb. 6, according to Tiffany Plemmons, senior category manager for RaceTrac, which operates more than 500 stores in the Southeast. It’s now one of the company’s top roller grill products.

“We were excited to launch a new limited-time-offer product that resonated with our consumer as well as hit on a hot new trend — Nashville Hot Chicken,” said Plemmons. “The product has a hot, spicy flavor mixed with fried chicken with a hint of pickles.”

But spice doesn’t have to come from the chicken itself; sauce is an easy way to add an extra kick to any chicken product.

Potter said KenJo Markets’ house-made Buffalo sauce is a customer favorite for that reason.

“Honey mustard or ranch are the most popular sauces,” she said. “But if they want spicy, they get the Buffalo sauce.”

And a Datassential study shows that many customers do.

“We had people with a barbecue sauce or a mustard that can be spicy or not,” said Rodriguez. “About one-quarter of people said, ‘The spicier, the better. Just let me have it.’”

She attributes the increased popularity of spicy foods and sauces, in part, to “the emergence of global cuisines.” 

We’re more exposed to different cultures now than ever before — and we occupy more cultures, too. 

With more than 60 million members in the U.S, according to consulting firm BridgeWorks, Generation Z is larger than millennials and two-thirds the size of the baby boomers. 

And according to a Pew Research Center report, Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is not only the country’s largest generation, but also the most racially and ethnically diverse.

This means young consumers are familiar with a wider variety of cuisines than generations before. That’s not going to change, so retailers must adapt instead.

Many c-stores are adapting, adding not only Mexican foods like taquitos to the menu, but also Thai food, for example, like Pittsburgh-based GetGo’s Spicy Red Thai Chicken Curry, which Rodriguez said rated highly by consumers for both uniqueness and likelihood of purchase.

“Not necessarily that all of the food in, say, Thai cuisine is spicy, but certainly compared to traditional Italian food, for example, it has more complex and typically hotter spice levels,” said Rodriguez. “Spiciness overall is definitely trending.”

While some members of Gen Z might say, “the spicier, the better,” Rodriguez said it depends on the dish. But no matter an individual’s preference, she said most young consumers are more attuned to flavor complexity overall and how different spice levels enhance their food. 

#BetterBeBroaster

#FAQFryDay: How do Broaster Ventless Fryers Compare to Other Brands in the Market?

The #ChickenExperts know!
👇
Great question! Purchasing a Ventless Fryer is a big decision and you want to make sure that you are getting the right piece of equipment for your business. 
Existing kitchen setups can easily accommodate frying equipment with very little space and without an overhead hood (in most municipalities) by investing in countertop ventless fryers. But, we also know that finding the right ventless fryer may feel like a challenge, so that’s why at Broaster, we’ve simplified the process for you by compiling all the information you need.
To learn more about our Ventless Fryers visit —> https://broaster.com/comparing-the-top-ventless-fryers.../

#BetterBeBroaster  #RestaurantIndustry
Happy Halloween! 🎃

Genuine Broaster Chicken is THE treat you should be enjoying today! 💯

#BetterBeBroaster #GenuineBroasterChicken
OPERATOR SPOTLIGHT! 

This week’s Operator Spotlight goes to Rose City Bar & Grill, a small town bar located in Rose City, Minnesota.

They offer all the classic menu favorites, such as pizzas, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, a variety of appetizers, and Broaster Chicken, plus home cooked specials! 😍

#BetterBeBroaster #GenuineBroasterChicken
Accessory Equipment - 620 Motorized Easy Breader 

💥Fits almost anywhere – compact unit requires only 2.53 square feet of countertop space.
💥Marinates up to 14 pounds of product in 15 minutes.
💥Coats up to 14 pounds of product in just 3 minutes.
💥Breader available in both manual and motorized versions.
💥Optional marinating accessory kit provides a quick, easy and consistent method for both marinating and coating.

#BetterBeBroaster #GenuineBroasterChicken
Which one are you picking? Let us know in the comments 👇🏼 #GenuineBroasterChicken #BetterBeBroaster
#FAQFryDay: What Are The Features Of The Broaster 2400 Pressure Fryer Model?

The #ChickenExperts know!
👇
Broaster 2400 Pressure Fryer holds up to 22lbs of chicken (48 pieces of chicken) per cycle, it’s 24” wide, 6.7 sq. ft. of floor space, Electric 208v or 240v, & Gas – L.P. or Natural.
 
Visit 👉 https://ow.ly/AYc550TME1n to learn more.

#BetterBeBroaster #GenuineBroasterChicken #RestaurantIndustry
💥Ventless Countertop Fryer VF-2 With Smart Touch💥

Model VF-2 ventless fryer includes round cooking well with 14 pound cooking oil capacity. Unit is primarily stainless steel monocoque construction with black, welded and powder-coated steel base plate. Interior cooking well tray is designed to capture spills up to 15 cups. Heating element is fully immersible with lift-and-lock mechanism for easy cleaning.

SmartTouch Touch Screen Controller provides a programmable library with pre-loaded menu items and an automatic cook-cycle counter. 

Features:
🔺Easy to operate
🔺Unique Auto-CompTM
🔺Space-Saving Design
🔺Specifically designed for convenient production
🔺Built-in fire suppression system
🔺No hood required in most municipalities.
🔺HEPA and charcoal 2-stage air filter cartridge for ventless operation.
🔺Easy to clean 
🔺Proven round cooking well design
🔺Auto-Lift 

Looking to get a quote? Contact us today!

#BetterBeBroaster
Uhm yeah… We’re obsessed 🤩 You would be too if you tried Genuine Broaster Chicken!

#BetterBeBroaster #GenuineBroasterChicken
Here’s Todd Wamsher from @midwestequipmentco 😊

Todd is the distributor for Broaster covering southern Missouri & Arkansas. His favorite thing about working with Broaster is the equipment, he says it’s fantastic, easy to use, very reliable, and customers get very involved with it.

Thank you Todd & Midwest Equipment Company!

#GenuineBroasterChicken #BetterBeBroaster
#FAQFryDay: What Are The Different Styles Of Genuine Broaster Chicken?

The #ChickenExperts know!
👇
Broaster has three styles of Genuine Broaster Chicken! 

1️⃣ Our time tested, family favorite, Genuine Broaster Chicken; one of the only chicken programs on the market with a bread ahead coating process. 

2️⃣Genuine Broaster Chicken Spicy, which uses an Extra Spicy Slo-Bro coating to kick the heat up. It has the same light coating you know and love from Genuine Broaster Chicken. 

3️⃣ Genuine Broaster Chicken Extra Crispy which is perfect for Tenders and sandwich fillets. The tenders are premarinated and then flash frozen in easy-to-use bags featuring a long shelf life. Operators simply slack out the tenders and then bread using our flavorful Slo-Bro Extra Crispy Coating and double dip process and drop directly into their Broaster Pressure Fryer. 

We have many Operators who will offer Spicy only on certain days of the week. You can also use the Extra Crispy Coating on your fresh chicken breast filets and make a chicken sandwich that would have your customers licking their fingers for sure.

#BetterBeBroaster #GenuineBroasterChicken #RestaurantIndustry
You know that first bite always hits! 😍

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Meet @richmalachy, CEO of @malachycares ! 🤗

Malachy Parts & Services has been our distributor for New Jersey, New York City, & Long Island for the last 6 years. 

Rich’s favorite part about working with Broaster is our high quality equipment and his favorite Broaster equipment is the Broaster 1800 Pressure Fryer.

Thank you Rich and Malachy Parts & Services for all the work you do!

#GenuineBroasterChicken #BetterBeBroaster