Low-carb craze stirs up quick-service feeding frenzy

Nation's Restaurant News, Feb 16, 2004 by Amy Garber

The sandwich category began to take note late last year after Blimpie Subs & Salads made its September debut of a "Carb Counter" menu in Northeastern locations. In December Subways nationwide launched two "Atkins-Friendly" wraps made from special wheat and soy grains that are low in carbohydrates but high in protein and fiber.

Later this year D'Angelo's, which has 216 units, is planning to unveil three low-carb wraps, including tuna, turkey club, and steak and provolone cheese, ranging in price from $4.39 to $5.49. Shaye says sibling chain Papa Gino's is on the hunt for low-carb dough as well.

Donatos Pizzeria--which until recently was owned by McDonald's Corp.--last month launched a low-carb "crustless pizza," which can be eaten with a fork and is made with soy chips instead of traditional dough, according to spokesman Tom Santor. The new product, dubbed "NoDough," is sold as an individual-sized pie and is available with any of Donatos' toppings. A NoDough pepperoni pizza has 14 net grams of carbohydrates, which compares with 53 grams in a traditional individual-sized pepperoni pie, according to the company.

Donatos' founder, Jim Grote, decided that the 182-unit chain would develop the new pizza last year after he watched customers eating only the toppings and discarding the crust.

"The dynamic we are seeing is that a family will buy a pizza on Friday and add one NoDough," Santor says.

On a larger scale Hardee's in December unveiled at all 2,134 units a bunless version of its $2.89 Thickburger, which features a third-pound patty wrapped in lettuce leaves instead of a bun and with condiments adjusted to lower the carbohydrates to five grams, or three net grams. In comparison, a Thickburger on a bun has 60 grams of carbs.

A few weeks later Hardee's sibling burger brand, Carl's Jr., followed with a similar offering that features a lettuce-wrapped version of its $3.95 Six Dollar Burger at the chain's 1,003 stores. However, that sandwich features a half-pound patty and has a total of six grams of carbohydrates. CKE Restaurants of Carpinteria, Calif., owns both chains.

For the five weeks ended Jan. 26, reflecting promotional periods for both chains' new offerings, Hardee's same-store sales jumped 15.2 percent as Carl's Jr.'s comparable-restaurant sales rose 8.5 percent. Although harsh weather a year ago explained some of Hardee's comparative spike, the chain's average-unit volumes this January "were higher than in any other comparable period since 1999," including months with milder weather, CKE president Andrew Puzder said.

The idea for the two chains' lettuce burger rollouts began last summer, according to Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Hardee's and Carl's Jr.

"We had a lot of employees in the company as well as some franchisees losing a lot of weight on low-carb diets," Haley explains. "They recommended to me that we were uniquely suited to offer a great low-carb burger," he adds, boasting that Hardee's Thickburger and Carl's Six Dollar Burger "taste great by themselves and fill you up without the bun."