This much we know about chocolate: Consumer taste for it is impervious to fluctuations in the economy. When times are good, chocolate represents a kind of celebration. And, when the market heads south, it becomes a kind of consolation.

Not surprisingly, during periods of prosperity, sales of premium chocolate tend to skyrocket. According to the consumer research report Packaged Facts, sales of premium chocolate grew an astonishing 200 percent between 2003 and 2007, when it reached $3 billion.

Now many experts expect that the associated belt-tightening might actually prove to be a boon for upscale chocolate makers. The market-research giant Mintel asserted at the end of 2008 that while many consumers will continue trading down to value brands where most purchasing behaviors are concerned, they will also continue to indulge “in small, affordable luxuries, like premium chocolate.”

Consumers define “premium” in a host of different ways, of course, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s categorization—chocolate made from so-called “fine” cocoa beans instead of “bulk” or “ordinary” ones—seems reasonably close to the mark. After all, when coupled with better systems, blending techniques, and quality controls, finer raw ingredients do tend to make for better finished products.

But what about other signifiers of quality, including labels such as fair trade and organic?

In the case of the former, consumers seem mostly unmoved by the distinction between conventional products and fair-trade varieties. Research conducted last year by the Natural Marketing Institute found that only about 15 percent of consumers would be more likely to buy a product emblazoned with the fair-trade logo. “With the hundreds of seals and certificates flooding the market, consumers have become overwhelmed,” said Steve French, a managing partner at the Institute, in an article published in December.

As for organic chocolate, its reputation remains checkered at best. “I’ve always been skeptical of organic chocolate. In my experience, most of it tastes awful,” lamented New York Times food writer Jill Santopietro in her November 2008 preface to a largely unfavorable review of several different organic brands.

So assuming premium chocolate is here to stay, even if the popularity of organic and free-trade varieties waxes and wanes, how can quick-serves capitalize?

To me, it all comes down to that need for comfort, consolation, and a little indulgence in hard times. Assuming things remain precarious economically for the time being, quick-service customers are more likely than ever to view their visits as much-needed breaks from the same old, same old. And that means chains might be able to turn those visits into great escapes through the addition of some select premium chocolate treats.

The confections and concoctions I have in mind wouldn’t be check-busters by any means; adding to the check is less the objective than adding to the overall restaurant experience in ways that promote repeat visits and long-term loyalty. At a challenging time when keeping customers coming is job No. 1, that’s no mean feat. So many of these ideas are intended to be bite-sized, low-cost, or even complimentary offerings.

Dark chocolate’s recent soaring popularity is primarily attributable to the intensity of its flavor profile and to its widely reported health benefits. Casual chains such as Applebee’s, Olive Garden, and Marie Callender’s have placed dark chocolate pies, cakes, and brownies on their menus in recent years, but the cacao-heavy stuff has been all but absent in quick-serve settings. This begs the question: Why couldn’t a quick-serve score a hit with, say, a small dark chocolate parfait cup, or a high-quality, bite-sized dark chocolate ice cream pop?

Alternatively, a burger chain might offer a devil’s food cake bite to cap a great meal, while Italian chains such as Pizza Hut could consider the addition of a chocolate gelato or a cocoa cannoli featuring a rich chocolate pastry shell and a dark chocolate ricotta-cheese filling. Mexican concepts could capitalize on the appeal of Mexican chocolate with a single shot of a hot cocoa beverage containing that signature mix of dark chocolate and cinnamon flavorings. And at chicken chains like KFC, a small cup of dark chocolate pudding spiked with various sprinkles or mix-ins could fill the bill for an after-meal pick-me-up.

In the same vein, Subway could offer patrons a perfect finish with a distinctively different dark chocolate wafer cookie, or perhaps a chocolate Rice Krispies treat that uses a premium dark chocolate as a coating, rather than the standard-issue milk chocolate variety. Meanwhile, coffee chains have already gone to town with hot cocoas and mochas, but they haven’t necessarily delved into the realm of premium milkshakes made with higher-quality chocolate syrups and premium chocolate ice cream.

There’s no question that when times are tough, consumers go looking for small comforts in familiar places. Tapping into premium chocolate’s mass appeal during rocky economic times could make sense for quick-serve chains intent on cementing customer relationships by strengthening their emotional connections—and value propositions—with legions of solace-seeking guests.