Red Robin Reveals First-Ever Secret Menu Item: A Hangover-Curing Hamburger The Cure Burger – a hamburger topped in eggs, bacon and chili – will be available for one week only, starting on New Year's Day.
By Kate Taylor
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Red Robin is releasing its first-ever secret menu item. For New Year's Eve revelers struggling with hangovers on Jan. 1, it couldn't come at a better time.
The burger chain will begin serving the "Cure Burger" on Jan. 1. The burger is topped with popular hangover cures, including a sunny-side up egg, bacon and chili.
According to Red Robin, almost half of drinking age Americans report that they eat to relieve a hangover, making a burger that claims to be a miracle cure a no-brainer. If you want capture the hungover consumer base, New Year's Day isn't a bad bet – more than a third of Americans who plan to celebrate by drinking were already predicting a hangover on New Year's Day when surveyed back in late October and early November.
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The Cure Burger is the very first secret menu offering launched directly by Red Robin. That means the burger's sales will be solely driven through media coverage, social media and word of mouth, with no mention of the Cure Burger on the menu or in advertising. Recently, restaurant chains have tapped into the power of the secret menu, with secret offerings like Taco Bell's Quesarito and Arby's Meat Mountain going mainstream due to customer demand.
The chain, which operates 500 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, is only officially serving the burger (albeit secretly) until Jan. 7. However, if you find yourself hungover and craving a cure in future weeks or months, there is hope. The secret menu offering will be available through recreation with the chain's Customizer platform, which allows customers to build their own burgers.
If Red Robin can make hungover customers love the Cure Burger, the chain can cash in on a continuing secret menu hit through the Customizer platform. If not, it's no skin off of Red Robin's back, with no menu changes or money spent on advertising. In other words, even if the Cure Burger doesn't relieve headaches and nausea, it's a win-win scenario for Red Robin in the new year.
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