We’re celebrating Beverages and Snacks at Fast Food Week! And the word ‘Summer’ has begun to sneak into the news releases from the major brands. But ‘Value Wars’ news is slim. And Pistachio nuts are scarce due to the Dubai Chocolate explosion!
Shake Shack features a new burger each week for the
month of May -National Hamburger Month!
The rundown…
Rare bird sightings: Chicken Rings are back at White Castle, and Chicken and Waffles is back at KFC…
Mains
Shake Shack has Free Burgers
It’s a special promo, marking National Hamburger Month, which runs through May 31. You can cash in on the deal when you place any regular-menu priced ordered, using the code “BURGERMONTH” when ordering online through the Shake Shack mobile app or website, or in-restaurant ordering kiosk. There’s a different Freeburger each week…
Chicken & Waffles is back at KFC
It’s been on hiatus for 5 years – but obviously not forgotten! The ‘swavoury’ combo stands up 2 pieces of Crispy Original Recipe fried chicken and toasted waffles drizzled with syrup. “We believe Chicken & Waffles is an American icon. Flavorful, […] bold, it’s delicious, […] it’s back on our menu just in time for Mother’s Day!” says Catherine Tan-Gillespie, President, KFC US.
Sides
Frank’s shakes out 6 new Hot Sauces
It”s a summer prelude, with meat lovers in mind… The new slate includes débuting sauces, squeezes and dips. “Each sauce offers accessible heat, inviting fans to experiment with a wide range of trend-ing, consumer-preferred flavor combinations, such as ‘swicy’ and easy, global-inspired flavors for anyone to explore and enjoy,” the official release boasts…
Beverages
White Castle gets dirty – Soda
Call it Soiled Castle of you must. But White Castle is plunging into Dirty Soda with 2 new flavours: Dirty Orange and Dirty Lime Cola.
According to one reviewer: “Dirty Orange features Fanta Orange with ‘a splash of sweet cream creamer’ – think summer creamsicles! Dirty Lime Cola adds gives Coke a citrusy shot and an ad-ditional ‘blessing’ of creamy sweetness.”
Shake Shack pours Dubai Chocolate Shake
“After blowing up across Shacks in Dubai earlier this year,” FoodBeast reports, “the Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Shake is finally landing in select U.S. locations starting Monday, April 7.” It’s a special, limited-time promo, available at 10 selected locations each in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. In-person only. While supplies last.
McDonald’s upgrades Lemonade
McD’s is kicking up its Lemonade offering a scootch by subbing our Minute-Maid and bring in it’s own ‘fresh’ Lemonade version – with pulp . It’s a new permanent beverage option at participating loca-tions US-wide. The sweet and tangy (‘swangy?’) drink was tested in select markets in March 2023. It’s an old-school blend of lemon juice, lemon pulp, and cane sugar.
Cinnabon launches Iced Coffee
It’s a collab with flavoured coffee specialists International Delight. The product is Cinnabon Iced Coffee, which, “blends cinnamon and cream cheese frosting flavors.”
Cinnabon Iced Coffee is are now available in (off-sized) 15 oz./ 359 ml cans at select grocery and convenience stores nationwide.
Desserts & Snacks
White Castle spins Cheddar Blast Chicken Rings
They’re the only Fast Food brand to have ’em, and they get a lot of respect from fans – when they’re available. This time, Chicken Rings, ‘feature crispy-fried white-meat rings of chicken dusted with a seasoning [blend] made with cheddar cheese’. Get ’em in shareable 12-piece orders and a couple of combo special. Details in store…
OREO goes ‘swalty’ with Chocolate Covered Pretzel
It’s actually a standard OREO sandwhich cookie, but Stufed with, ‘chocolate flavored creme, sand-wiched between pretzel-flavored cookies that are topped with salt.’ The first-ever sweet and savory OREO offering. Available US-wide starting May 5, while supplies last…
Chips Ahoy! rolls out Chewy Chocolate Chip
I hate those ice bream sandwiches that have crunchy outer wafers. On a hot summer day, the ice cream always gets squashed and spurts out the sides when you bite into them. Well…
Chips Ahoy! Chewy Ice Cream Sandwich-Inspired Chocolate Chip Cookies. Chewy CC Cookies with, a vanilla creme-filled center that, “delivers the nostalgic flavors of a classic ice cream sandwich.” The brand recommends you try chilling or freezing them for, “a refreshing treat to beat the heat.”
Uncrustables spreads PB & Mixed Berries
There’s a new Uncrustables sandwich in town and it features Mixed Strawberry and Blueberry jams. It’s actually a PB & Mixed Berry riding the current wave of interest in the ancient kids’ lunch classic sandwich. It’s here for the summer.
“Last fall, we introduced the brand’s first new PB&J flavor in a decade with Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Raspberry Spread Sandwiches. The overwhelmingly positive reception from both new and loyal Uncrustables fans reflected the clear demand for new flavor innovations,” says Chris Achenbach, Director of Brand Strategy at the J.M. Smucker Co.
KFC reprises Strawberry & Cream Poppers
A seasonal fave for spring, Strawberry Cream Pie Poppers are back just in tile to celebrate the season and Mom! They’re the perfect dessert partner with KFC’s new Chicken and Waffles menu Value com-bos. Here for an unspecified, though limited run…
Novelties
Events
Dubai Chocolate craze blamed for global Pistachio shortage
It’s the viral Dubai CHocolate Bar Bar in particular that’s caused a notable dip in cocoa supplies. According to The Guardian, Pistachio prices rose nearly 35 percent last year due to increasing demand.
The ‘classic’ the Dubai chocolate bar is ‘made with milk chocolate, pistachio cream, tahini, and crispy kataifi pastry’.
JITB closing 200 stores… Selling Del Taco?
Lack in the Box says its’ going okay – but needs a streamlining and updating. It will close some 200 ‘underperforming’ locations this month and next. Meanwhile its sibling, Del Taco has also experi-enced first-quarter sales softness and may be for sale – if the the price is right…
Chipotle brings Tex to Mex…
… Opening its first Mexican location. It’s all part of an internationalizing plan that’s seen it already open new stores in two Middle Eastern countries.The Mexican sub-chain will be run by a holding company that specializes in bringing US chains to Mexico and South America. Chipotle is apparently hedging its best against the Trump tariffs and the effects of climate change…
Hershey in talks to buy Lesser Evil?
LE is a peripheral competitor to Hershey’s. In as much as it’s flagship line is composed of salty, crunchy snacks, not sweet or chocolatey treats. But that’s a classic, no-fail ‘contrast’ pairing.
And Hershey already has SkinnyPop and Pirate’s Booty on the team. Lesser Evil is described as a ‘healthier for you’ brand featuring, ‘organic and non-GMO ingredients’.
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some of us a little less shorts-and-sandals-worthy over the coming days and weeks. See you back here in 7 for the next early-budding edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.