Dairy Queen Focus is on Customers not Channel Competition

Since I was in Dallas, Texas over the weekend I thought that I would simply chill out and watch a football game or two on TV.  I know that Dallas is the home of TGI Friday’s restaurants appetizers were on my mind, you know game food.  Well I could have had everything I wanted for less and skipped Friday’s by going to a DQ Grill & Chill instead.  We could ask do copycat menu help or hurt the customer traffic numbers within the restaurant sector.

Dairy Queen has introduced a new line of “DQ Bakes! Snacks Menu” that’s what they call it I call it appetizers and game day food.  Clearly Dairy Queen is focusing on the 50% of US Consumers that the US Census Bureau identified over the age of 18 that are single. The new menu items are:

1.       Soft pretzel sticks with zesty queso: Three soft pretzel sticks, served hot from the oven, topped with salt, and served with warm zesty queso dipping sauce.

2.       Potato skins: Potato skins served hot from the oven filled with zesty queso cheese sauce, bacon bits, Cheddar cheese, and seasoned with a dash of salt & pepper.

3.       Buffalo chicken snack melt: Grilled chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and melted Cheddar cheese inside a tortilla toasted to perfection.

4.       Chicken bacon BBQ snack melt: Grilled chicken, BBQ sauce, bacon, and melted cheddar cheese inside a tortilla toasted to perfection.

Barry Westrum, executive vice president of marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation stated: We know millennials enjoy snacking throughout the day and relied on that insight to create a high-quality menu specifically made for snacking. Our snack menu continues to prove that the DQ brand truly listens to our Fans when creating new menu items.” Looks to the team at Foodservice Solutions® following the one time industry casual dining leader TGI Friday’s was at play.  Was there any innovation here?

One DQ fan seemed to agree with the team at Foodservice Solutions® according to DQ industry press reports: “The potato skins are delicious! They taste like something I’d order at a sit-down restaurant,” and “The queso has the perfect amount of spice; I can’t wait to have more at my Dairy Queen store.”

Lacking an innovative product the DQ Bakes! Institute, is again trying to make something old new again this time it is a “Artisan-style Philly”.  The new DQ Philly features warm, thinly sliced steak, Monterey Jack cheese, flame-roasted red and green peppers and onions, all served hot from the oven and served on an artisan-style basil cheese focaccia roll. So what do you think Innovative?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, grocerant ScoreCard.  For brand, or product placement assistance our Grocerant Guru® has the skill-set you are looking for.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869