What Cheetos, Nutella and Fruit Loops Have in Common

As today’s brands struggle for market share in a cluttered grocery aisle, some are breaking away from the pack in disruptive ways. Take Cheetos who recently aligned with celebrity chef Anne Burrell to open the Spotted Cheetah this summer in New York City’s Tribeca that was impossible to get into during its 3-day stint. With a menu that incorporated the orange snack throughout, dishes included Cheetos Meatballs and Cheetos Chicken Milanese.

For the more breakfast centric there’s the Kellogg’s Café, which offered an inspired menu comprised of Kellogg’s brand mashups including PopTart Milkshakes and cereal bowls. While its first location closed last summer, we quickly learned it was only to relocate to an even larger space in Times Square. Similar to the Cheetos model, they’re partnering with influencer Lauren Conrad who will help them create new menu items.

This trend is also picking up globally. Nutella, the iconic Italian hazelnut opened the first Nutella café in Eataly’s Chicago location, with plans to open an outpost in New York City next year. It’s not only happening with sugary cereals or snack chips though. And let’s not forget the healthier side of the supermarket. Amy’s Kitchen, the frozen food company that offers organic versions of comfort food faves like mac and cheese, burritos and pizza, aims to disrupt the fast food industry with the first ever Amy’s Drive Thru in California.

What is it about this new concept that’s enticing consumers? Is it a passing trend, or one we can expect to see more of?

According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry will reach nearly $800 billion in sales by the end of 2017 – it’s no wonder brands want to feast on some of that revenue. While they noted that diners will become more discerning about their dining options due to dietary restrictions, they also predicted “food trends becoming more concept based than ingredient based” which supports the increasingly popular experiential dining model. These restaurants demonstrate just that – ways to offer up more than just a meal to create a buzz worthy idea. My guess is we will see more in 2018 and it will be interesting to see these concepts come to life.

Which of your favorite brands would you like to see branch out into the restaurant space?