Stuffing cheese into things has been a good business for Restaurant Brands International‘s (NYSE: QSR) Burger King brand.
The company had a hit with Mac ‘n Cheetos earlier this year, and now its turning to a slightly more natural cheese product to keep its momentum going. Burger King has brought back its Cheesy Tots, a long-discontinued item that some fans had pushed it to return to the menu.
And while Cheesy Tots may not have the marketing cache that comes from being tied to a popular snack like Cheetos or Yum! Brands‘ Taco Bell’s various Doritos-based tacos, but they do have a ready fan-base of people who remember them from their earlier run. In addition, cheese-infused tater tots, which the company describes as “crunchy bite-sized snacks featuring a crispy outside and a warm mixture of potatoes and creamy American cheese on the inside,” on its website, are an easy enough proposition for consumers to understand.
What is Burger King doing?
The burger chain is following Taco Bell’s lead and using outrageous menu items to attract attention. That can involve adding bacon to dishes it has previously not been in before, bringing more cheese to the table, or partnering with well-known brands from outside the fast-food world.
In this case, the company has added an easy-to-understand french fry alternative that costs $1.99 for an eight-piece order. That serving weighs in at 310 calories, 15 grams of fat, and a whopping 780 milligrams of sodium.
Will this work?
Both Taco Bell’s previous promotions and Burger King’s prove that these wacky ideas can be traffic and sales drivers. In this case, the dish is at the low-end of the outrageousness scale, but it’s clear the company understands that keeping today’s consumers interested requires frequent menu changes.
Cheesy Tots seem like a good idea and they should drive some sampling traffic, while also bringing back the nostalgic crowd who remembers them from the last time they were offered. This is not a game-changing product for Burger King, but it should be a mild hit, and help the chain keep pace with its rivals’ menu-addition efforts.
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