Firehouse Nashville Hot - © 2019 Firehouse Subs

Fast Food Week – Quick Service Resto And Snacks News…

Lots of announcements this past week, some already in effect. Firehouse Subs and newcomer Apizza launched new menu items. Coca Cola gets into the Energy Drink game. And DQ and Baskin Robbins announce fall/Hallowe’en specials. But first, KFC wants you to date the Colonel…

An early screen from the new KFC/Steam game collab,
‘I love you Colonel Sanders’. But white hair at 19?

Coke getting into Energy Drink market – officially

Coca Cola is launching four new fizzy beverages with flavours you know and, they hope, love. Coke, Coke Zero, Cherry Coke and Cherry Coke Zero ‘Energy’ are intended to compete directly with Red Bull and Monster, the original stand-alone Energy Drinks. The Coke products will contain more Caffeine than either of this competitors along with vitamin B and guarana (the latter claimed to fight fatigue and improve focus). look for the Coke Energy drinks in all the usual places come January of next year.

Firehouse Subs adds Nashville Hot Brisket

The ‘Nashville Hot’ craze has just about burned itself out, in terms of advertising and promo power, but it’s apparently still; a popular seller on Fast Food menus. Firehouse Subs, the premium Sub emporium, is now selling Nashville Hot Brisket Sandwiches topped with Spicy Pickle Chips, Mayo, Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw, and Melted Pepper Jack Cheese. The ‘Roll’ is a square of Toasted Corn Bread. It’s available at all Firehouse Subs Locations across the U.S. and there’s been on indication of whether its a permanent menu addition or merely a limited time promo item.

Apizza franchise brand offers (US)$3 Personal Pizzas

Not entirely unlike premium Personal Pizza purveyor Fiazza, Apizza is now offering a range of personal-sized pies starting around $3 and topping out (pun intended) at about $7. That’s a lot less than Fiazza but we;re not sure how their pies compare. Apizza  says it’s taken years to develop its concept maximizing speed of service minimizing the cost of ingredients and otherwise optimizing the whole process. Apizzas’s CFO  Chief Development Officer Jason Thompson told reporters, “In-N-Out [Burger] does a great job, I’d be proud to be the In-N-Out of pizza.” We’ll see.

DQ makes ‘Harvest Berry’ its October Flavour of the Month

Well, its really nothing new. When my mom’s mother, who spent most of her life on the farm, didn’t have enough of any one fall Berry to fill up a pie crust, she put together all the varieties she had and called it ‘Bumbleberry’ Pie. Dairy Queen is following that old standby tactic in its latest Blizzard flavour of the month. The chain is also bringing back its popular Chicken and Waffles Basket, containing 6 Chicken Strips, 2 Belgian Waffles, Fries and Syrup, for the month.

Baskin Robbins launches Hallowe’en, specialties

Starting with Candy Mash Up as its Ice Cream Flavour of the Month for October, BR is adding: Ghost Cake – Striped Cake topped with Buttercream Ghosts, Kit-Kat pieces, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Chocolate Drizzle, and Halloween Sprinkles; Piñata Ghost Cake, filled with loose Halloween sprinkles; and Spider Web Cookie Cake dripping with Fudge and Marshmallow toppings.

KFC launches new game collab with Steam

It’s a romp titled, ‘I Love You Colonel Sanders’ and imagines you and the Colonel meeting in culinary school, then – if you’re skillful and lucky, going into business (or more) together. It’s available for the PC from the Steam game portal. Yes, it’s a dating scenario, and the Colonel you go to school with is a mere cadet compared to the old familiar Sanders we all associate with the name and rank of Colonel S. He’s not bad looking, really, if you don’t mind that he already has snow-white hair at the tender age of – what? – 19? The Steam website blurb blares:

A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator follows you, a promising culinary student, as you try to date your classmate, Colonel Sanders. Throughout your journey, you’ll be faced with life-changing decisions that will affect your chances of friendship and love…

Right. And don’t forget the running, ad-like references to the Colonel’s products…

~ Maggie J.