Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Popeyes, KFC, and Taco Bell Prove Diverse Menus Matter 

by 
Shira Petrack
 on 
August 1, 2022
Popeyes, KFC, and Taco Bell Prove Diverse Menus Matter 

We dove into foot traffic trends for Popeyes, KFC, and Taco Bell to see how menu changes impact visits. Although the data presented here does not include all drive-thru and pick-up orders – and so does not represent the totality of the brands’ foot traffic – these metrics still show how a single popular item can significantly boost traffic across a QSR brand.

Popeyes’ Chicken Sandwich Still Boots Visits 

Like other players in the space, Popeyes has seen its year-over-year (YoY) foot traffic slip recently as consumers shift their spending to favor groceries over restaurants. But thanks to the brand’s beloved chicken sandwich, year-over-three-year (Yo3Y) visits are still going strong, with June 2022 visits up 6.5% relative to June 2019. 

The brand introduced the fried chicken sandwich in August 2019 and sold out in just two weeks before re-introducing the popular item in November 2019. Since then, the brand has consistently beat its pre-chicken sandwich traffic numbers – and it looks like the sandwich is still playing a key role in helping the brand weather the current economic challenges. 

Year-over-year (YoY) weekly visits fell throughout July, impacted by the strength of visits in July 2021 resulting from pent-up demand and retail’s wider reopening. But the Yo3Y weekly visit numbers stayed strong, with foot traffic for the week of July 18th up 15.3% compared to the equivalent week in 2019. Popeyes impressive Yo3Y performance is a testament to the potential of popular menu items to drive up traffic for an entire brand. 

Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza Drives Visit Surge

Like Popeyes, Taco Bell is tapping into the power of the menu refresh to draw in customers. Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza was first introduced in 1985 and was discontinued in November 2020 as part of a wider menu culling initiated by the pandemic. Outraged fan Krish Jagirdar launched a petition that garnered over 200,000 signatures and – according to the brand – played a key role in Taco Bell’s decision to reintroduce the item nationwide on May 19th, 2022. But Taco Bell underestimated the massive demand for the item, and began selling out of the popular pizza just two weeks later. 

The re-introduction – and quick liquidation – of the Mexican Pizza is reflected in the brand’s foot traffic. Nationwide Taco Bell visits relative to the week of March 7th, 2022 spiked nationwide the week of May 16th with the launch of the pizza and stayed elevated for the two weeks during which the item was fully stocked at Taco Bell branches around the country. But as the pizza supply dwindled, so did visits to brands. The brand plans to bring the pizza back in the fall – at which point visits are likely to surge once again. 

KFC’s Chicken Nuggets Help Charlotte Beat Nationwide Trends

KFC is also experimenting with new products through its recently introduced chicken nuggets. The Louisville, Kentucky-based brand began testing this new menu item in select locations in Charlotte, North Carolina beginning on July 18th. The nuggets are designed to appeal to Gen-Z consumers who are less interested in eating chicken on the bone – and if the current trial launch goes well, the nuggets may permanently replace the popcorn chicken currently on KFC menus nationwide. 

Comparing foot traffic to KFC restaurants nationwide with visits to KFC branches in the Charlotte, NC DMA shows that the nuggets are already driving demand. Prior to the release of the nuggets, nationwide visits and visits to KFCs in Charlotte, NC followed similar patterns. But foot traffic to Charlotte KFCs pulled ahead the week of July 18th – the same week that the chicken nuggets launched locally. This indicates once again the significant impact that a single menu item can have in the QSR space. 

For more data-driven dining insights, visit placer.ai/blog

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Text Link
Taco Bell
Text Link
Popeyes
4 Strategies Retailers are Using to Drive Traffic to Their Venues
5 Key Regional Grocery Players Impressing in 2023
Upscale Kitchenware Trending Up
Costco Finds More Room for Growth
Four C-Store Chains Making an A-Grade
National Parks + Outdoor Summer Activities
Diving Into Darden: Summer 2023 Update
The Summer Event Effect
Messi: Massive in Miami
Looking Back on Back to School 2023
The Anchor Recap: August 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai White Paper Recap: August 2023
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Strikes Again
Big Scoop: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sports Away: Lululemon & Nike’s Momentum Continues
Summer Visits Heat Up For Recreation and Outdoor Gear Chains
No CSS overwrite - July 2023 Office Index Recap
Staging - August 2023 Mall Indec
Mid-Atlantic Grocery Deep Dive
Experiential Chains Heating Up This Summer
Petco Goes Big by Going Small
Ulta Beauty: Leading the Discretionary Pack
Discount and Dollar Chains Continue to Thrive
Summer of Sports: DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports
Off-Price: Succeeding Into Summer
The Anchor Recap: July 2023
Superstores Maintaining Pandemic Gains Amidst Economic Headwinds
2023: Home Improvement at the Halfway Point
July 2023 Office Index Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2023 Recap
widget test
The Taylor Swift Visit Lift
Southwestern Grocery Dive
July 2023 White Paper Recap: Halfway Point Review & Quarterly Index
Yum! Brands: Driving Dining Visits
Slurpees and Summer Movies Stimulate Consumer Foot Traffic
Cool Beans: Summer Coffee Update
Checking In on Back to School 2023
Crocs and New Balance Tip The Scales
Burger Bliss: Shake Shack and In-N-Out Stacking Visits
Chipotle & McDonald's Continue to Reign Supreme
Vibenomics and Placer.ai Partner to Enhance Retail Media In-Store Measurement
California Grocers Here We Come!
Marriott’s Different Audiences
Bonchon and Kura Sushi Thrive in the Fast-Casual Scene
A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top
Cheers! Raising a Glass to Beverage Retail
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index June 2023 Recap – A Turn of the Tide and a Dive into Open-Air Lifestyle Centers
Local Kitchens: Redefining the Restaurant
Unlocking Urban Insights: The Value in Manhattan’s Employees
Ohio State Parks On The Rise
How is Inflation Impacting the High-Income Shoppers?
Five Fast-Growing Dining Chains
What To Expect From Prime Day and July Sales Events in 2023
The State Of Fashion: How Are Apparel Retailers Faring in 2023?
2023’s Latest Dining Success Story: GEN Korean BBQ House
The NBA Finals: A Location Intelligence Perspective
Moving the Market: The Impact of Domestic Migration on Housing Costs
Post-Pandemic Museum Update
The Darden-est Things
The Enduring Demand for Urban and Suburban Retail
Leveraging Data to Evaluate the Impact of Municipal Investments
Trader Joe's Success Amidst Food Inflation and Changing Consumer Behavior
Placer.ai Office Index: May 2023 Recap
Fitness at its Fittest: Staying Strong in 2023
Movie Theaters, Off-Price, and Home Improvement: May 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index - May 2023 Recap
What’s Working for Bath & Body Works?
Why Are Specialty Grocers Thriving in 2023?
The CAVA Craze: A Location Intelligence Perspective on the Mediterranean Marvel
How Will Primark’s US Expansion Impact Target?
All Eyes on Eyewear
Northwestern U.S. Grocery Dive
Return of the Lunch: Salad Chains Are Thriving
Retail Media Networks – Off the Beaten Track
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Discount and Dollar Stores Drive Foot Traffic
Ulta & Lululemon: Discretionary Spending On The Up
The Score After Q1: Sporting Goods Chains
Who Uses NYC Airports: Biting Into The Big Apple’s Main Transport Hubs
Off Price: Strength in The Face of Retail Challenges
Visits Improve for Home Improvement
Walmart, Target & Wholesalers in Q1 2023 – The Return of Mission-Driven Shopping?
Department Store Roundup: Q1 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index, April 2023 – A Rebound on the Horizon?
How Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bankruptcy Impact the Retail Space?
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
Thrift Stores: Vintage Visits Drive New Age in Apparel
The Windy City: A Hub of Post-Pandemic Opportunity
Diving into Dining Traffic - Q1 2023
Bring On The Joe
A Dollar (or more) For Your Thoughts: Five Below and pOpshelf
Dining Out With The Cheesecake Factory
Retail Foot Traffic Recap – March 2023
Digging Into 2023: McDonald’s and Chipotle Update
Placer.ai Office Index: March 2023 Recap
How Did Key Retail Categories Perform in Q1 2023?