Where did the week go? It’s Saturday again and we’ve got breaking Fast Food News from the Likes of Taco Bell, Papa John’s and McDonald’s. Not to mention the upset victory of the year, so far: Starbucks has been knocked out of number 1 spot by Krispy Kreme in the annual Coffee Shop ratings…
The Naked Chicken Chalupa is back, again, at Taco Bell. Again, for a limited time, only.
Taco Bell brings back the Naked Chicken Chalupa
The Bell could leave this popular, meaty novelty on its menu permanently and I doubt its many fans would ever tire of it. But, in concert with the current marketing patterns of the major Fast Food chains, it’s only coming back for a limited time. This time around, you can get your Naked Chicken Chalupa either Mild or Wild. The Mild version features: the signature Fried Chicken Shell, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cheddar, and Avocado Ranch Sauce. The Wild version changes out the Ranch Sauce in favour of a Cayenne and Brown Sugar ‘Wild Sauce’.
Papa John’s goes Big Garlic
We haven’t heard much about Papa John’s Pizza since the chain lost its favourable position as official Pizza of the NFL, and its founder and CEO got fired. But the brand is still out there and seems to be capitalizing on its legacies. One such unique aspect of Papa John’s menu is its acclaimed Garlic Sauce, which is a favourite for dipping. Now, you can get a 1 gal / 4 L – 8 lb. / 3.62 kg jug of the stuff. Get it at the Papa John’s Online Merchandise Store for ‘just’ (US)$20 per jug. They aren’t saying so, outright, but I’ll bet this crazy offer won’t last long.
Krispy Kreme beats Starbuck’s in U.S. popularity contest
The iconic glazed doughnut maker has been judged American’s beat Coffee Shop in the latest Harris Poll’s EquiTrend survey. Starbuck’s displaced Dunkin’s from top spot last year, the first time Starbucks had won the honour. The survey, now in its 30th year, asked 77,000 people from all walks of life what they thought about a wide range of Coffee Shops. Some observers were surprised that Starbucks got bumped by Krispy Kreme: Starbucks has some 26,000 locations, while Krispy Kreme has only about 1,000. But their respective brand profiles are apparently about equal in the minds of consumers.
McDonald’s now serves only Fresh Beef Quarter Pounders
The roll-out, which has been hyped for about a year, now, is complete. All Quarter Pounders in the U.S. are now made from fresh-never-frozen Beef. Wait. Isn’t that a competitors’ slogan? Oh, yah – Wendy’s. They’ve been doing it fresh for a few years, now. And don’t forget Burger King and A&W. Looks like McDonald’s missed another opportunity to be first with something younger, healthier consumers were asking for.
Man eats 30,000th lifetime Big Mac, claims perfect health
Retired prison guard Don Gorske made history this past week downing his 30,000th lifetime Big Macs. The previous Guinness World Record was about 25,000. But Gorske isn’t sitting back to rest on his laurels. His hometown paper, the FDL Reporter says he’s is continuing to chow-down on what averages out to 1.6 Big Macs a day – accounting for about 90 per cent of his food budget. Gorske says he spends less than the average American on food each month, and claims his last medical showed his cholesterol and blood pressure were perfect. I want to know: ‘Perfectly’ what?
Mother’s Day Specials
Almost all your favourite treats-and-eats shops are offering Mother’s Day Specials this weekend. Whether you love Baskin-Robbins, Krispy Kreme Donuts; The Cheesecake Factory, TGI Fridays, Tim Hortons or any of many others, get on the internet and see how they’re helping you say ‘I love you’ to your mom!
And that’s the skinny…
…on what’s making everyone but Gorske fat for this week. Back in seven, with another Fast Food News Roundup!
~ Maggie J.