Kraft Heinz Wants You to Mix Flavors in Your Ketchup

Coca-Cola revolutionized soda customization with its Freestyle fountains about 15 years ago, and now Kraft Heinz aims to do something similar for dipping sauces.

The concept involves sauce “bases” such as Ketchup, Ranch, 57 Sauce, and BBQ Sauce. Customers can choose one base and then mix it with flavor “enhancers” like jalapeño, smoky chipotle, buffalo, and mango (where multiple options are allowed).

Each additional flavor can be added at low, medium, or high intensity.

On Wednesday, a prototype of the dispenser, known as the Heinz Remix, was announced and will be exhibited at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago over the weekend.

Kraft Heinz plans to conduct pilot programs with the product in restaurants starting from late 2023 until early next year. The company collaborated with Microsoft and others to bring this innovative machine to life.

The available base options may evolve with time, which should alleviate concerns for those worried about the absence of mayo.

Diana Frost, the Chief Growth Officer of North America at Kraft Heinz, mentioned that “these bases and enhancers will continue to evolve” and added, “As we continue to ramp up and see the scaled opportunities, we’re going to continue to take the cues from consumers.” Eventually, customers may also have the option to mix bases.

Kraft Heinz is embracing innovation wholeheartedly as it strives to enter a phase of growth after years of business restructuring. To stabilize the company, it focused on highlighting its well-known brands like Kraft Mac & Cheese and Velveeta. Now, the company is thinking bigger—or rather, saucier.

“Innovation will be our single biggest driver of growth,” stated Frost. Kraft Heinz aims to generate an additional $2 billion in North American retail revenue from innovation by 2027.

The goal is for the Remix dispenser to be used in food service establishments like restaurants, cafeterias, and stadiums, rather than being available on grocery store shelves. However, food service also plays a vital role in the growth strategy. The choices customers make using the dispenser will help inform Kraft Heinz’s product decisions in retail.

Frost referred to the company’s away-from-home division, which includes restaurants, as “a great tip of the spear,” explaining that “a lot of insights come first in away-from-home.” Understanding which flavors—ranging from sweet to smoky to spicy—resonate with consumers is particularly important. Frost expressed excitement about allowing consumers to take control and learn from their preferences.

Kraft Heinz has recently embraced the idea of letting customers mix and match. Earlier this month, the company announced a new line of frozen meals featuring five main dishes, five starchy sides, and five vegetable options that can all be baked together in the oven, providing an assortment of lunches or dinners.