Spicy foods are not a turnoff for American diners, in fact, they crave flavorful foods! New research states that 54% of consumers prefer hot or spicy flavors and sauces. Given that this statistic has increased by 8% since 2009, we are predicting this trend is hot (no pun intended)!Synergy Restaurant Consultants founder Dean Small always says, "Flavor drives traffic," and the latest research reports agree. Technomic found that 41% of consumers say that new or innovative flavors can influence them to try a new restaurant. Additionally 75% of these consumers are also highly likely to return to a restaurant that serves them a delicious menu item featuring innovative flavors.Now is the time to play with the flavors offered on your menu. Get creative and use unique flavor combinations to surprise and delight diners. Based on our 25 years of experience, we know bold flavors will drive traffic to your door.