Thirty percent of Americans eat a meal in their cars at least once a week, and it’s no secret that many of those meals come straight from the drive-thru. Most menu items in our industry are somewhat suited for dashboard dining, but few are just right. Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme is among that exclusive group. Sealed on all sides for “maximum portability,” the Crunchwrap’s hexagonal tortilla makes it possible for diners to eat with one hand, presumably while steering with other. The Crunchwrap even comes packaged in a car-friendly, lap-sized box—just in case a spill does occur.

Street food is all the rage among foodie types—the idea, as the name implies, is that it’s the kind of food you would buy from a vendor or small shop and eat while you’re on the street. The real appeal, though, is that street food means authentic food. The Mexican torta is a perfect example of this type of cuisine. Rubio’s version, added to the menu in mid-2005, offered carnitas, chicken, or carne asada on a grilled roll. Though muy authentic, the sandwich’s run on the Rubio’s menu was cut short after customers complained about its less-than-filling size. But don’t count the Street Torta out just yet; Rubio’s plans to introduce a reformulated version in 2006.

Burger King’s Enormous Omelet Sandwich received its fair share of negative criticism when it launched in March. But the fact remains that the sandwich perfectly aligns with the needs of its target market—the active, 18- to 34-year-old male, the type of folks who can burn off a 740-calorie breakfast. Burger King credits the Enormous Omelet with helping to fuel its recovery in 2005. Sales of the sandwich were strong enough that the chain introduced a second version, the Meat’normous Omelet Sandwich, this fall.

In fall 2004, Chick-fil-A began the first phase of its breakfast push by adding three new breakfast entrees to the menu. This summer, the Atlanta-based chain completed the second phase, with the introduction of Cinnamon Clusters and its new Café Blends Coffee program. From the woodcut-designed packaging to the three hand-picked, custom-roasted Arabica blends, Chick-fil-A’s coffee program is well-executed. Within months, coffee sales doubled, as customers happily paid $0.99– $1.39 for their morning cup.

Spurred by research showing that nearly 60 percent of pizza-eaters like to dip pizza in sauce, Pizza Hut sliced a one-topping pizza into 16 1-inch-by-4-inch strips, served it with marinara, ranch, and garlic sauces, and sold it for $9.99. Introduced as an LTO during Super Bowl XXXIX, the Dippin’ Strips pizza contributed to a 2-percent gain in comps. Charitable Giving >