Score Big: How Soccer Goalz™ LTOs Drive Traffic and Demand

It’s Tuesday night. Your restaurant is packed. A new appetizer platter hits the table and immediately your customers have their phones out. It’s colorful. It’s shareable. It offers brand new options they’ve never had before. Meanwhile, while they’re uploading pictures to social media, nearby tables are taking notice. “Can we order one of those?”

That’s what it takes to get attention these days. These types of limited-time offers (LTOs) keep going viral on social media, whether it’s a giant mozzarella stick with a big cheesy pull or an over-the-top charcuterie board overloaded with colors and textures.

Now, with soccer fandom surging across the U.S., Simplot® Traditional™ Potatoes Soccer Goalz™ are positioned to be exactly the kind of “wow factor” menu item. Combining a fast-growing fan base, research into what consumers want, and a product designed for operational simplicity, Soccer Goalz™ are an LTO opportunity you can’t pass up.

Why do restaurants offer LTOs? Because they work.

There’s a reason the most successful restaurant brands in the country, whether they’re QSRs or FSRs, rotate specials, seasonal offerings, and exclusive menu items. Sure, it’s partly about keeping the menu fresh. But it’s also about tapping into what consumers want from restaurants.

According to consumer research, 78% of consumers say that when they see an LTO they’re interested in, they want to try it before the promotion ends.¹

In other words, it’s all about the FOMO.

A good LTO creates urgency. When a potential guest sees an exclusive product they can only get from you, and only for a short time, that fear of missing out suddenly changes their decision-making process. “I should stop in one day” becomes “I better get there before it’s gone.”

That urgency can work to attract both new guests, who suddenly have a reason to try your concept, and returning regulars, who have a reason to stop in again.

In fact, 68% of consumers say that offering new, exciting items influences where they choose to dine.²

In other words, more than two out of every three guests say they decide which restaurant to visit based on how new and novel the offerings are. With traffic being top-of-mind for so many operators, that’s a clear consumer need to be answered.

Crafting the right LTO

While no two LTOs are exactly the same (that would defeat the very purpose of an LTO), there are some tried-and-true methods for crafting an LTO that succeeds. In the end, many winning LTOs share a common theme: they are exciting, but still approachable enough that they aren’t alienating potential diners. Guests like a little adventure and excitement, but they don’t want to worry that the risk is so great they’ll lose money.

The numbers back this up: the number one reason consumers say they purchased their last LTO was because they wanted to try something new.¹

Yet, at the same time, the top factors that keep customers from purchasing one are that they are afraid it won’t be a good value and they’re not sure if they’ll like it.¹

In other words, LTOs should feel new and exciting, but still feature flavors and formats that they know and trust. That’s why twists on familiar favorites perform so well as LTOs. A pizza with a unique topping. A burger with the bun swapped out for something more premium or unique.

That’s where Simplot® Traditional™ Potatoes Soccer Goalz™ score. This twist on a universally beloved potato option is the best of all worlds, offering up a customer favorite in a brand new format. Customers can feel confident ordering it without hesitation, but it’s unique enough that it feels special and exciting.

Appetizers and sides are the discovery zone

Taking calculated risks is a key theme for consumers right now as “value” is constantly top of mind. That’s why guests are rarely taking big risks on the most expensive entrées. If that expensive steak LTO isn’t to their liking, they’ve lost a lot of money.

Instead, guests are far more open to experimenting with apps and sides. Indeed, over half, or 51%, of consumers say they prefer trying a new appetizer or side.¹

That makes appetizers and sides the key area to focus on for LTO innovation. If you want to build excitement, drive traffic, increase check averages, and create that social sharing moment with an exciting LTO, appetizers and sides are the place to put your time and energy.

Soccer Goalz™ are built for these very menu categories. At a consistent 1-ounce size, they’re easy to portion, plate, and price. The fun-to-eat, easy-to-share format works across these two categories, from a vibrant appetizer platter to a go-to side across the entrée or handheld menu.

Soccer is finally having its American moment

There’s no doubt about it: soccer fandom is growing at an unprecedented rate across both long-term and brand new fans. There has been a 57% year-over-year increase in fans who have followed the sport for more than 5 years, while there has been a whopping 400% year-over-year increase in brand new fans diving into the fandom.³

A new generation of American soccer fans is not only here, they’re looking for ways to celebrate and enjoy this growing sport together.

They want to gather at restaurants and bars. They want to come together, share apps, stay awhile, cheer their team on, and celebrate a win. With more fans excited by an increasing number of high-profile soccer events, the potential opportunity for operators will only continue to grow.

Tapping into soccer culture with an exclusive product like Soccer Goalz™ signals something important to this growing and passionate consumer group: this place gets us.

Social-media worthy LTOs create the buzz

In the age of social media, a well-crafted LTO isn’t just a key marketing opportunity for your own team, but these items can market themselves organically. As mentioned above, those attention-getting menu items inspire customers to get out their phones and share the excitement with their friends and family.

Soccer Goalz™ are made to be photographed. The brand new soccer ball shape is not only recognizable, but it’s playful, too. Videos of customers dipping Soccer Goalz™ into bold sauces, dusting them with exciting spices (the nooks and crannies are prime flavor real estate), and crunching into each piece are sure to stop social media users in their tracks.

Smart operators lean into this by pairing Soccer Goalz™ with lots of bold toppings, creative sauces, or fun plating options that double down on the visual excitement.

Score with these ready-to-feature menu options:

Why Soccer Goalz™ are the right call

The case for adding Soccer Goalz™ to the menu is clear:

• Your customers want them. Soccer’s fan base is exploding, but it’s still new enough that there are opportunities to reach this next generation of fans with relevant LTOs.

• There is a demand for something new. Consumers are looking for new, exciting options, particularly in apps and sides. Don’t let them down.

• They drive traffic. Consumers say that brand new LTOs make them want to visit before they’re gone.

• They’re easy on your operation. Soccer Goalz™ cook like a standard tot, don’t require any new equipment, come in a standard 1-ounce portion for easy costing, and can be leveraged across a range of menu items, dayparts, and new launches.

Soccer Goalz™ aren't just fun. They're a well-timed, low-risk opportunity to bring in new guests, give regulars a reason to come back, and turn your operation into the place where soccer fans feel at home.

That’s a winning score if there ever was one.

Interested in trying Soccer Goalz™ for your operation? Request a free sample from Simplot today.