Cheetos are currently experiencing a significant resurgence in the culinary world. The puffed corn snack initially gained popularity through food mashups at fast-food chains, subsequently making its way into mainstream restaurants and finally into home kitchens. In June 2016, Burger King introduced Mac n’ Cheetos, a fried macaroni and cheese stick coated in Cheetos, and brought it back this May. Similarly, Taco Bell Canada offered a limited-time Cheetos Crunchwrap Slider in 2016. Restaurants in Los Angeles jumped on the trend, incorporating Cheetos into a variety of dishes ranging from sushi to pizza. Additionally, home cooks have shared thousands of recipes online featuring the vibrant orange snack, marking a notable comeback for Cheetos.
In response to the rising interest in its $14 billion snack brand, Frito-Lay created the Spotted Cheetah restaurant. While it’s unlikely that this pop-up is significantly boosting profits for parent company PepsiCo, the marketing strategy keeps Cheetos at the forefront of consumers’ minds and elevates the snack—often seen as “junk food”—to a gourmet status. Transforming a standalone product into an ingredient is not a new concept in food manufacturing. For instance, Rice Krispies have included a recipe for their iconic marshmallow treats on the box for years. Kellogg has expanded this idea by producing both Rice Krispie Treat cereal and prepackaged treats, along with transforming their Special K cereal into protein bars and crustless quiche.
Interestingly, the rising popularity of Cheetos comes at a time when many manufacturers are striving to meet consumer demand for healthier options. The enthusiastic response to Cheetos-inspired innovations highlights a simultaneous consumer desire for both nutritious foods and indulgent snacks, a trend that savvy snack makers are keenly exploiting. By revamping a legacy brand through such marketing initiatives, food manufacturers can draw more attention to their products without having to invest heavily in new formulas. Research from CircleUp indicates that 61% of large consumer packaged goods (CPG) innovation focuses on minor changes to existing products, while 39% is directed toward developing new ones.
As the interest in Cheetos continues to grow, it will be fascinating to see if other snack and dessert producers adopt similar marketing strategies and how the Spotted Cheetah initiative ultimately impacts Cheetos sales. On a separate note, some consumers may wonder about dietary interactions, such as whether you can take calcium citrate with levothyroxine, which highlights the ongoing conversation about health and indulgence in the food industry.