Fast-Food Innovation War Moves to Breakfast

Over the past few years, a number of fast-food chains have been trying to outdo each other when it comes to menu innovation. You can largely thank Yum! Brands' (NYSE: YUM) Taco Bell for creating the trend of food mashups with hit potential with its Doritos Locos Tacos. That snack chip/taco combo sold half a billion units in its first 14 months on the market beginning in 2012 and has been a steady seller since then. The Doritos Locos Taco has also had a number of spinoff products, including a spicy version, and it has led other chains, including Restaurant Brands International's (NYSE: QSR) Burger King, to introduce their own snack chip-infused products.

Since 2012, we've seen sandwiches with fried chicken buns, shakes mixed with breakfast cereals, pizzas with hot dogs embedded in the crust, and a whole lot of other wacky ideas. Recently, however, a number of chains including Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin' Brands' (NASDAQ: DNKN) Dunkin' Donuts, and Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK) have turned their innovation attention toward breakfast.

Chicken nuggets are not traditionally a breakfast item. Image source: Chick-fil-A.

Source: Fool.com