Did you know that more than one in four fast-food meals are eaten in the car? You read that right – today’s busy consumers eat 26% of their QSR orders in their cars, according to research by Circana.
These findings were part of the inspiration behind Kelley Blue Book’s new guide, which the Cox Automotive brand developed to help consumers find the best vehicles and features for safer on-the-go dining experiences, as certain car models have streamlined designs to prevent spilling, securely hold sauce containers, or include extra cupholders, which allow drivers to focus on the road and keep their vehicles tidy.
Dubbed the “Fork in the Road: Drive & Dine Guide,” the new resource also provides recommendations regarding the most car-friendly bites to enjoy along the journey and features four individual categories:
- On-The-Go Go-Tos
- Co-Pilot Comfort
- Detour Worthy
- Custom Builds
“Stopping for a quick bite on the go is an integral part of any memorable road trip, and it’s important to know which options can help everyone enjoy a snack while avoiding a mess or distractions,” said Brian Moody, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book.
“The ‘Fork in the Road: Drive & Dine Guide’ helps consumers find the cars and vehicle features that keep their sauces safe, their leather seats protected, their drinks warm and the trip mess free, to pair with the best grab-and-go snacks.”
Kelley Blue Book’s experts grouped the results into two lists for each of the four categories: “Car Winners” and “Food Winners.”
Let’s dig into KBB’s food-specific picks since cars aren’t exactly in our lane, so to speak, here at The Food Institute.
On-The-Go Go-Tos
The first category, “On-The-Go Go Tos,” ranks the “features, foods, and rides that make eating on the go easier and safer,” according to the press release.
The Food Winners for this category include:
- Breakfast Crunchwrap – Taco Bell
- Egg Bites – Starbucks
- Chicken Sandwich – Chick-fil-A
- Snack Wrap – McDonald’s
- Corn Dog – Sonic
Co-Pilot Comfort
The “Co-Pilot Comfort” category ranks vehicles and menu items according to their “Passenger Princess-approved setups, pet-friendly layouts, and snack-sharing ease.”
Its Food Winners include:
- Family Fry Box – Whataburger
- Munchkins – Dunkin’
- Crazy Puffs – Little Caesars
- Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes – Taco Bell
- Cook Out Tray – Cook Out
Detour Worthy
The “Detour Worthy” category revolves around “spots off the beaten path” that are worth making the side quest for and “cars you just want to keep driving.”
Its Food Winners include:
- Brisket Sandwich – Buc-ee’s
- Truett’s Luau (Hawaiian Chick-fil-A)
- Runza Sandwich –Runza (Nebraska)
- Topperstix – Toppers Pizza (Wisconsin)
- Fried Pie – Jack’s
Custom Builds
The final category, “Custom Builds,” consists of “hacks, swaps, gadgets, and DIY tricks that level up the drive and dine experience,” with Food Winners that include:
- Animal Style Fries – In-N-Out
- McDonald’s Nugget Box Straw Hack
- Frings (half onion rings, half fries) – Burger King
- Mermaid Water – Sonic
- Medicine Ball – Starbucks
The Winners and Losers of On-the-Go Dining
The guide also crowned Taco Bell as the official Food Winner of “The Kelley Combo” alongside Honda, which identifies the “ultimate drive and dine duo, where taste meets tech, and convenience meets craveability,” according to the press release.
On the flip side, KFC is one brand that could’ve benefited from such a guide.
The QSR chain has experienced six straight quarters of U.S. same-store sales declines, which The Wall Street Journal partially attributed to the challenges associated with chicken on the bone.
“Ben McElroy, a 36-year-old father of two in Maryland, said he has cut back on KFC given his family’s preference for boneless nuggets and sandwiches. Pieces of fried chicken from one of KFC’s buckets, McElroy said, ‘would be such a greasy mess,’” reads the article.
With today’s consumers picking sandwiches and tenders over buckets of chicken, the chain is working to capitalize on these emerging trends, particularly through its chicken tender concept, Saucy, but only time will tell if these efforts will be enough to move the needle.
Food for Thought Leadership
Is the future of flavor increasingly borderless? Valda Coryat, vice president of marketing for condiments and sauces at McCormick, reveals how curiosity powers McCormick’s flavor foresight, why segmentation by “flavor personality” matters, and how flavors are becoming more culturally driven.
