Dive Brief:
- Little Caesars launched a new menu item Monday, the bite-sized Crazy Puff, in what appears to be an effort to join the QSR snacking occasion trend.
- The Crazy Puff comes in cheese or pepperoni varieties, and both are filled with the brand’s sauce. Four puffs cost $3.99, according to the press release.
- The snacking occasion is a point of emerging restaurant competition, both in the broader QSR space as well as the pizza chain segment. Marco’s Pizza, Papa Johns, Mod Pizza and Pizza Hut have all added pizza-flavored menu items that are ostensibly easier to hold and scarf down on the go.
Dive Insight:
Crazy Puffs were designed specifically with busy customers in mind, Little Caesars CMO Greg Hamilton said in a statement, adding that the handheld puffs are ideal for on-the-go occasions.
The menu addition is available at Little Caesars from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., per an image included in the press release. The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the specific daypart targeting of the puffs.
The puffs can also be added to the chain’s pizza as a side in its Hot-N-Ready combo meal. The portable puffs could improve Little Caesar’s competitive edge relative to other pizza brands, many of which already have portable pizza-themed snacks.
Competition between pizza chains over portable snack items reflects a larger shift toward alternative dayparts and meal occasions. McDonald’s is testing a new restaurant concept focused on snacks and drinks, Starbucks is planning to add new snacking items to its all-day food menu. While the giants of the restaurant industry are pushing snacking, smaller brands and c-stores are also getting in on the action: Twice Daily, a regional c-store brand owned by Tri-star energy, added snack wraps to its menu last week.
The snacking turn comes as customers balk at higher pricing, resulting in declining or stagnant traffic at many restaurant chains. With discounting, LTOs and value offerings looking less like a sure play, new dayparts and novel menu items might offer a way to draw some fresh traffic for brands.
