Midnight Snacks Making a Comeback

Better late-night than never is taking on a whole new meaning when it comes to nighttime cravings. Once Covid began to ease, late-night activities such as concerts and sports activities made a come back, along with after-hours snacking. In addition to bars and events, there’s another theory as to why late-night snacks are in high demand. According to an article by Nation’s Restaurant News, traffic during this daypart has increased 7.5% in Q2 2023 versus a year prior. “I’d argue that Americans’ growing fondness for late-night snacks has spawned from remote work. Many jobs now offer hybrid or remote work options, which allow individuals to set their own working hours,” Starr Douglas, the CEO of FrontHouz, a restaurant staffing solution, told The Food Institute. “Those who previously were limited to a 9-5 can now start their work later in the day and finish later at night.” Whatever the reason may be, restaurants everywhere are acknowledging night owls’ need for a late bite and they’re keeping the neon open sign shining bright.

?

Wendy’s:? The pandemic even made the queen of fast food take a back seat to serving burgers late into the night. It has taken four years, but Wendy’s is finally able to advertise their late-night menu. In Q2, Wendy’s late-night revenue reached double-digit sales. CEO Todd Penegor said, as you’d expect, late-night produced higher average checks and more delivery, “which further supports the restaurant economic model.” “We continue to see room to grow our share of this daypart versus our [quick-service restaurant] competitors and are excited to continue advertising late night during the third quarter,” Penegor told investors. “We believe the daypart will expand even further as customers come to know that Wendy’s is reliably open for the high-quality late-night experience they deserve.” It’s safe to say that you can catch this burger chain on the flip side of the crisis: 90 percent of Wendy’s locations are now open until midnight or later.?

?

White Castle:? White Castle is taking things from the drive thru to the streets with a new merchandise collaboration. Who better to collaborate with than Fat Joe? Not only has the rapper been nominated for iHeartRadio, BET and MTV Video Music awards, but also several Grammys. The brand is pulling inspiration from its late-night roots and branding the clothing line “Night Castle.”? In a release, White Castle notes it has long been known as a “late-night hot spot,” adding that a "vast majority” of its 350-plus restaurants are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “It’s a reputation the 102-year-old, family-owned business embraces by keeping many of its Castles open into the wee hours of the morning and by promoting itself as ‘Night Castle,’” the company said. From shirts to shorts, all merchandise was inspired by street fashion and graffiti art. The only thing square about the White Castle merch are the burgers they’re repping.

?

Pizza Hut:? Imagine, it’s 2 a.m., you’re at home, and you have a craving for pizza. Thousands of Pizza Hut locations across the country will be extending their hours and will be open for late-night pizza. The strategy behind this new success: reinforcing the importance of off-premises channels as the chain extends its hours. Dragontail tech (a platform focused on optimizing and managing the entire food preparation process from order through delivery) also plays a critical role “to support the goal that each menu item arrives hot and fresh,” said by Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs. At the end of the day, we see Pizza Hut grabbing a big slice of late-night business.?

? Denny’s: 75% of Denny’s restaurants are now open 24-hours per day. CEO Kelli Valade said, “We are not only proud of the great progress we’ve made, but also the fact that we have cemented our late-night leadership position in the market again.” “Late-night is frankly one of our strongest dayparts when you look at it over the course of the total week,” CFO Robert Verostek added. The secret to Denny’s late-night success is through its virtual brands – Burger Den and The Melt Shop. Younger customers want something delivered quickly to their door, and these virtual brands do just that, along with the appropriate branding. It’s safe to say the pancake powerhouse found its “sweet spot” with late-night takeout and to-go orders.?

As operators take care of late-night cravings, Huhtamaki is here for your food packaging needs. While restaurants are focusing on late-night customers, we’re working towards a more sustainable future. Our 2030 sustainability ambitions focus on two key topics: transitioning to a circular economy and taking climate action, while not forgetting other environmental and social aspects of sustainability. Huhtamaki is a trusted partner in innovation and collaborates with customers to properly package food at any time of the day. Learn how we can help you make the most sustainable food packaging choices for your business, and more importantly, your consumers at https://www.huhtamaki.com/en-us/north-america/foodservice/.