Want to Attract Younger Food Customers? Offer Texas Pete®

Your foodservice menu options remain a top priority for luring gas customers inside your stores. New consumer research finds that one smart tactic is to promote menu items with the words ‘hot sauce’ or ‘spicy’ in their title. It’s even more important for attracting younger customers.

Menu research company Datassential recently polled more than 1,000 consumers on their preference for a variety of sauces mentioned in a convenience store’s menu. Near the top of the list is ‘hot sauce’ in the description or title of the menu item. Overall, 39% said hot sauce was important to them, with younger-aged consumers scoring even higher. Gen X (46%), Gen Z (41%), and Millennials (40%) ranked hot sauce significantly higher than Boomers (29%).

Among the demographics surveyed, younger consumers exhibit the highest preference for spicy foods.

“We’ve experienced significant growth in sales to convenience store operators in the past few years. All are looking to spice up their menus,” says Billy Lentz, Director of Foodservice Sales for Garner Foods, the makers of Texas Pete® Hot Sauce.

Aligning your menu to your target demographic is a smart strategy for maximizing traffic into your stores and revenue from your food and associated drink sales.

Consumers declaring they ‘love’ hot sauce based on gender, age, race, and geographic location.

The Datassential survey found that 65% of consumers say they ‘love’ hot sauce, with some demographics, such as African Americans and Hispanics, Millennials and Gen X consumers scoring even higher. Convenience stores in the west and south should likewise take note of higher demand for hot sauce on their menu. It’s important to note that a study by retail analytics company Circana/IRI found that Texas Pete® is the number one brand preferred by African American consumers and had the highest shelf velocities when sold on store shelves*.

Texas Pete® is #1 in the U.S. in sales of hot sauce PCs with three flavors from which to choose.

Texas Pete® is America’s #1 hot sauce** in portion control packets today, enabling convenience store operators an easy option for customers to spice up their menu items. CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce to complement sweet and spicy foods, ¡SABOR! by Texas Pete® Mexican-Style Hot Sauce for everything from nachos to burritos, and Texas Pete® Original Hot Sauce is simply great on everything. The Datassential survey found that 56% of consumers prefer PC packets so they can sauce to their preferred amount, so position your Texas Pete® PCs near the roller grill and the service area of your made-to-order menu items.

Honey Mustard Sauce, Wing Sauce, Original Hot Sauce, and BBQ Sauce are available in 1 oz. Dipping Cups.

Texas Pete® lets you upsize spicy flavor with 1 oz. Dipping Cup in four flavors. These are ideal for larger ticket menu items such as buckets of chicken or family meal deals. Texas Pete® portion control sauces are essential tools in attracting to spicy goodness.

Texas Pete® is also a go-to brand as an ingredient for fresh-made menu items and offers a variety of heat levels and flavors in ½ gallon or gallon jugs. From fried chicken and wings to sandwiches and other handhelds, Texas Pete® is the ideal hot sauce brand for your operation. Contact your Texas Pete® sales representative or distributor to order the best way to spice up your menu. When you buy Texas Pete®, be sure to cash in on up to $500 in rebates through June 30^th, 2024. Download your rebate form now.       

*IRI, 2022
**Circana/NPD, 2024