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Restaurants Roll Out Adult Happy Meals
All it needs is a big-boy drink // Image by Kait Cunniff with DALL-E
Fancy restaurants across the country are starting to offer happy meals for adults — and the discounted combos are becoming a bright spot for younger diners.
Why It Hits: Inflation and rising costs of living have tightened people’s wallets, especially when it comes to eating out — restaurant traffic has declined in 15 of the past 16 months, according to the National Restaurant Association. That problem has been compounded by double-digit increases in meal prices, driven largely by steep increases in beef costs. Finding ways to keep people coming through the door is paramount for restaurants looking to stay in business.
Inside The Box: Everyone just wants a little box of goodies.
Restaurants across NYC are getting in on the happy meal craze, and the trend has also popped up in Dallas, Minneapolis, and Capitol Hill.
They’re usually priced in the mid-$20 range and include a burger (or sliders or chicken tenders), fries or a salad, and a specialty cocktail or a glass of champagne.
Some even include the most important part of any happy meal — a toy. Instead of a cheap piece of plastic, it might be a vintage trinket or a puzzle.
Last Bite: The restaurants report that they routinely sell out of these meals and even have to turn people away at the door. Beyond getting a good meal at a reasonable price (at least compared to these restaurants’ usual menu prices), diners love that the offerings are thoughtfully curated, with packaging that reflects the restaurant’s vibe and menu items that pair well together. In fact, Gen Z prefers a well-thought-out bundled meal over food discounts or free items, according to Bloomberg.
In other words, diners dig great branding.
Next Order: Some restaurants may explore spinning off mini restaurants to house their lower-cost adult happy meals.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.