Lay's created three potato chip flavors inspired by the flavors of fast food chains like KFC, Subway and Pizza Hut, and the brand needed an efficient way to reach consumers during a time of nationwide restaurant closures—so it set up a dark restaurant on UberEats. The dark restaurant was open for just a short time frame of two days and those on the UberEats platform had the chance to try the new chips on the 3rd and 4th of June between 3-9pm.
To tie in the fast food theme, the dark restaurant delivered the new Lay's chips in the style of the restaurants they took inspiration from, using chicken buckets, pizza boxes and sandwich wraps.
Pop-Up Dark Restaurants
Lay's Launched a Restaurant on UberEats for Just Two Days
Trend Themes
1. Dark Restaurant Trend - The rise of dark restaurants that operate exclusively through delivery platforms presents an innovative opportunity for food and beverage companies to test new products and flavors in a low-risk environment.
2. Fast Food Flavors Trend - The success of Lay's fast food-inspired flavors demonstrates a growing trend in the food industry toward incorporating familiar flavors in new and unexpected products.
3. Pop-up Restaurant Trend - The popularity of Lay's limited-time dark restaurant highlights the potential for pop-up dining experiences to generate buzz and drive sales for food and beverage brands.
Industry Implications
1. Food Delivery Industry - The rise of dark restaurants and pop-up dining experiences presents an opportunity for delivery platforms like UberEats to expand their services and offerings.
2. Food and Beverage Industry - The success of Lay's fast food-inspired flavors suggests an opportunity for other food and beverage companies to incorporate popular flavors into their products in unique and unexpected ways.
3. Marketing and Advertising Industry - The use of pop-up dark restaurants as a marketing tactic highlights the potential for creative and experiential marketing campaigns to engage consumers and drive sales.