Fast-food chains going 'natural' to lure millennials

After years of serving meals quick and cheap, fast-food chains are having to turn to a new tactic in hopes of luring Millennial customers: going natural.

The latest example came Wednesday as Hardee's and Carl's Jr. announced new chicken breasts for their sandwiches that are 'natural' because they don't have any artificial preservatives or additives. The dual chain, operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, already has natural turkey burgers and a line of all-natural hamburgers.

In March, McDonald's said it was testing new Chicken McNuggets in Portland, Ore., that lack artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. McDonald's is also testing fresh, not frozen, hamburger patties in some Dallas locations.

And both have watched as Chipotle Mexican Grill has grown, appealing to younger customers with a formula pushing natural ingredients and no non-therapeutic antibiotics or synthetic hormones in its meats.

For Hardee's and sister chain Carl's Jr., the movement has represented a turnabout in the desires of its core customers, men ages 18 to 34 who are among the most frequent customers of fast-food chains, said Brad Haley, the chain's chief marketing officer.

Young men's biggest goal 'used to be a lot of food for the money,' he said. 'Now, they are more concerned about what they put in their bodies than ever before.'

The generation has, he points out, more vegetarians than in the past, not a great development for hamburger-driven chains like Hardee's and Carl's Jr.

Younger men in the target demographic visit fast-food chains 11 times a month, more than any other group, and spend more on their meals, according to Haley. In the past, Hardee's and Carl's Jr. have lured them with TV ads that played to images of hulking burgers with a dash of sex appeal — whether it was sexy models or, in one ad, Paris Hilton at the height of her fame, struggling to devour the monster burgers.

Now, Haley said, young men are 'just as interested in all-natural or minimally processed food as the total population, which does mark a change from previous years when younger guys were less interested in those things.'