Why Columbus is a top food test market
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
If Burger King sliders never go nationwide, you can blame — or thank — Columbus.
Why it matters: Columbus' perceived identity crisis is well documented. But as our city evolves, one bragging point has endured: It's still a top test market, especially for food.
The big picture: That "Test City, USA" reputation goes back decades.
- An early influence was major brands, including Wendy's and White Castle, testing close to their local headquarters, industry experts tell Axios.
- And that hard-to-define identity has actually kept us in the national conversation, says Rich Shank, senior principal and VP of innovation for consulting firm Technomic.
Zoom in: Columbus offers a wide snapshot of America in one region, which helps prove whether a concept could work nationwide.
- Urban, suburban and rural communities are all within a short distance.
- It's relatively affordable but backed by a strong economy and several industries.
- Our diverse population spans young professionals, college students, families, lawmakers and immigrants from around the world — and it just keeps growing.
What they're saying: It's a "dream market," says Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance president and CEO John Barker, a former Wendy's VP.
Flashback: Before King Size Sliders, Burger King previously tested a Pretzel Whopper and Nacho Chicken Fries locally, per a company statement calling Columbus a "valuable market."
- Taco Bell tried Tajín shells last year.
- Chipotle famously opened a now-defunct burger concept in Lancaster in 2016.
Between the lines: It's not just what's on the menu. Wendy's first AI drive-thrus were local and Donatos debuted a pizza-making robot at the airport.
- Central Ohio is also attractive to new brands testing national expansion — just look at all the coffee and bowl chains popping up lately.
Case in point: Brian Hipsher, senior lecturer with Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, lived in Denver when Chipotle first came on the scene in the '90s.
- "Guess where they went next?" he asks, the answer obvious.
- Today, the Arena District houses the chain's Midwest headquarters.
Reality check: Though it often rises to the top, Columbus isn't the only test market.
- And the below-average size of our Latino population — one of America's fastest-growing groups — could become a disadvantage someday, Hipsher notes.
The bottom line: "If it tests really well in Columbus, you'll get a pretty good idea if it'll play well in most of the United States," Barker tells Axios.