Throughout the pandemic, consumers turned to comfort foods frequently—for obvious reasons. DoorDash surveyed 2,000 Americans to find out what they were eating in the first six months of 2020, and top sellers included chicken quesadillas, buttermilk fried chicken, create-your-own-pizzas, cinnamon rolls, and cheese nachos.

For operators who want to take advantage of this trend, offering comfort food mashups, such as loaded potato tots, can be a great way to do so—and they can often boost check averages, as Technomic’s 2021 Starters, Small Plates, and Sides Consumer Trend Report found that 34% of consumers are willing to pay extra to substitute another side for one that comes standard with an entree. Additionally, comfort food mashups can be sold as entrees themselves, with premium toppings (such as avocado, pulled pork, or cheese sauce) offered as an upcharge.

Download the report to learn more about potato potential.