"Extreme" Menu Items Pop Up At Fast Food Chains Across The Country

Enrolling in online cooking courses can help you improve your skills in your home kitchen, but many foodies also love knowing what’s going on in the culinary world. In recent months, a trend of more “extreme” menu offerings has permeated the restaurant landscape and left industry experts wondering about the origins of the shift.

The fast food industry is a major purveyor or this trend, with chains like Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut and Burger King introducing limited-time menu items that attract a younger generation. According to Technomic, a food industry researcher, 23 percent of young women and 34 percent of young men eat fast food several times a week. By introducing adventurous new dining options, fast food chains can help maintain their customer bases.

“The younger generation is looking for fun things to try, interesting things to talk about,” Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, told BusinessWeek. “Marketers have no shortage of ideas to test. It’s hard to rule anything out.”

Although there has also been a recent shift toward healthy cooking in the home, young people are still heading out to get their indulgent favorites when they have cravings. Some of the most successful “extreme” menu offerings to date include Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos, Pizza Hut’s Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza and Dunkin’ Donuts’ Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich.

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