Fast food looks to booze to entice new diners

Although alcohol is a profitable item for many restaurants, it is often missing from fast food chain menus in the US and the UK. However, this could soon change, with chains such as Taco Bell looking to add alcohol to its menu.

Fast food operators are increasingly looking to alcoholic drinks to raise slow growth as millennials turn to fast casual and casual dining chains. While adding booze to menus often presents problems with licensing boards, opening hours, and the ability to hire young staff members, it is likely only a matter of time before consumers can enjoy a craft India Pale Ale (IPA) with their Big Mac or even a glass of pinot noir with their KFC bucket.

Fast food chains across continental Europe often sell alcohol, increasing the average amount consumers pay for a meal compared to a standard carbonated drink. In the US, Taco Bell recently announced a rollout of its urban-focused Cantina concept to 300 locations, which include alcoholic drinks as an option. However, the issues it has faced shines a light on why fast food chains in the UK and the US may struggle to follow suit.

In a Chicago-based test location for this concept, Taco Bell required additional security to ensure alcohol was not taken off-site. It was also unable to hire any staff members under the age of 21 and had to abide by more restrictive opening hours than a standard Taco Bell location. In addition, the key drive-through facet is inherently incompatible with alcohol sales, restricting the concept to city centre locations.

Taco Bell is not the only chain to have found problems integrating alcohol into its models. Burger King announced the sale of alcohol in a number of locations in the UK in 2015. However the chain was denied alcohol licenses for station locations in London and withdrew its application for a license to serve alcohol at a Manchester train station in 2016 amid rumoured concerns from station operators and the police.

No major fast food chain has fully committed to a beer, wine, or cocktail rollout across either the UK or US in 2017, but with increased pressure from fast casual chains, and a desire to premiumise, it’s likely only a matter of time before boozing in some fast food outlets becomes a reality.

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