Combo Meals a Hit for Burger Brands. Can Other Franchise Concepts Capitalize on This Trend?

McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King have recently seen a jump in sales for combo meals

SPONSOREDUpdated 2:14PM • 05/09/16

Combo meals are starting to pay off again for burger franchises. A report from research firm The NPD Group, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, found McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s saw an increase in sales for combo meals, which comes as a relief after the brands saw a decline in their sales. Combo meal purchases for lunch and dinner increased one percent for the three brands combined during the 12 month period ending in March 2016.

While one percent may seem like a lackluster figure to tout, it equates to 2.5 billion combo meals purchased. Consumers have been avoiding combo meals over the past few years because of their lack of variety and standard offering of a sandwich, side and drink. NPD Restaurant Industry Analyst Bonnie Riggs told the Chicago Tribune the spike in sales is due to burger brands offering guests the ability to customize their combo meals.

"Consumers want choices, and they want to be able to mix and match," Riggs said. "Burger chains, in large part, still haven't addressed that need, but they are certainly addressing the value need."

McDonald’s has seen success with its McPick 2 combo meal option, while Wendy’s introduced its 4 for $4 meal last fall. These popular fast food burger brands hope that customizability will help them make up some of the ground they've been losing to fast-casual restaurants over the last few years.

To read the original Chicago Tribune Article, click here.