Imbibe will be closed on October 3, 4, 17, 18, 25, and 26. Please expect delays in responses during this time.

Separate Yourself from the (Six) Pack – Alcohol Overview in QSR and Fast Casual

Despite the fact that consumers are spending 20% of their income on eating/drinking out, at an average of 2.7 times per week, the alcoholic options at QSRs and fast casual chains are extremely limited.

Serving alcohol to the consumers that drive thru these chains is not recommended, but there are opportunities to appeal to a wider audience, who may prefer to imbibe and stay awhile. Some establishments have opted to enhance their menu with alcoholic offerings that are in line with their brand identity, current alcohol trends, and sometimes, both.

We looked at what alcohol options some of the most popular QSR and fast casual restaurants are offering, and here’s what we found:

Restaurant Alcohol Offering
Wendy’s N/A
McDonald’s N/A
Chick-Fil-A N/A
Subway N/A
Panera N/A
Sweetgreen N/A
Halal Guys N/A
Naf Naf N/A
Carl’s Jr. / Hardee’s No alcohol, but they did collaborate with Budweiser to offer a Beer Cheese Bacon Burger
QDoba Bottled beer
Shake Shack Bottled and draft beer
Steak ‘n Shake Draft beer, wine
Sbarro Bottled beer
Sonic Some locations have beer and wine
Blaze Some locations have beer and wine
& Pizza Bottled beer and wine
Burger King A few New York locations are serving bottled beer, and one location even has a 700 calorie Guinness Shake that combines the stout with traditional milk shake ingredients.
Taco Bell Cantina locations offer beer, wine, sangria and Twisted Freezes (slushies spiked with vodka, tequila or rum.)
Chipotle Margaritas with choice of Patron or Sauza tequila, sweetened with organic agave nectar
Nando’s Peri Peri Portuguese beers, craft beer, cider, seasonal sangria, spiked lemonade, wine
Arby’s Jury’s still out. They may serve beer post their parent group acquiring Buffalo Wild Wings in February 2018.

 

Looking to spike your beverage menu? Imbibe beverage experts are equipped to enhance current offerings or assist in developing new products. Email us at thedrinktank@imbibeinc.com to start a conversation.

Keep Reading:

Sports Nutrition Trends Driving Beverage Innovation

Sports nutrition has always been at the leading edge of formulation science, and its breakthrough ingredient systems are now setting the pace across functional beverages, clean-label innovation, and reduced-sugar formulations.
READ MORE

Next wave of RTD coffee: Less sugar, more function

Redefining "luxury" in a can of coffee. This article explores how RTD coffee brands are balancing flavor with wellness, from how we process milk and sugar differently to the rise of functional ingredients.
READ MORE

Flavor Matching: A Tool for Smarter Innovation

We replicate both the sensory profile and functional performance of an existing flavor so it delivers an equivalent experience in your finished product.
READ MORE
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.