Fast Food Week: Quick Service Restaurant And Snack News!

It’s Pickle Month, and quick-service and snack outlets want everyone to know it. Topping the news: The city of New York and DoorDash have instituted new mandates and policies under which food delivery couriers will be paid by time, not by trip…

Golden Corral Take-out - © 2023 Golden CorralFans can now take their Golden Corral favourites home – via Weigh + Pay…

NYC, DoorDash stabilize driver wages

Just this past week, New York City announced a new municipal regulation mandating that food delivery couriers be paid an hourly rate independent of the number of trips they make in any given day. Couriers currently make $7.09 an hour on average. Their wages will increase to $17.96 an hour on July 12, then to $19.96 in April 2025.

Meanwhile DoorDash has taken a bold initiative, instituting Earn By Time, an enhancement to its smart phone app. It will increase smart Dashers’ incomes considerably. And it’s just one of many additions and improvements – for Dashers, merchants and customers – coming to the DoorDash app starting later this year.

Golden Corral Adds take-out

The Corral has long been a favourite of folks of all ages. It’s their buffet, you see (see photo, above). Now, they’ve added a weigh and pay system that allows you to take your buffet faves home for anytime indulging. Just one caveat: Be sure to fill your take-home containers with the good stuff. You’ll pay as much for Fries as you do Fried Chicken. It’s all based on weight.

HelloFresh celebrates Pickle Month

“Inspired by consumers’ passion and devotion for all things pickles, we’re excited to introduce the HelloFresh Pickle Box and offer a truly unique and flavorful snacking experience,” said Kirsten Walpert, VP of Brand Marketing, HelloFresh US.

Pickle Box - © 2023 HelloFresh

“The box includes a combination of classic, sour and sweet pickles together with craveable, salty snacks and even dill-flavored sweet treats, like a pickle-flavored freeze pop!” Order from the HelloFresh website starting July 10. While supplies last…

Intl. Alert! Domino’s does Pickle Pizza

Domino’s Japan is celebrating Pickle Month with a limited-time all-pickle Pizza. We surmise that Japanese Pizza lovers love their pickles, too. The pie is 16 in. / 40 cm in diameter, and features a single, even layer of pickle coins on a bed of creamy Camembert cheese sauce. I’ll be passing on this one – if I somehow find myself in Japan before the end of the month…

McDonald’s serves Jalapeños for breakfast

McD’s is turning up the heat on breakfast with a new limited-time McMuff. It’s called the Cheesy Jalapeño Sausage Egg McMuffin. And it’s available only at selected locations, until August 13.

Jalapeno McMuffin - © 2023 McDonalds

It is what it says: a ‘classic’ Sausage and Egg McMuffin topped with a layer of Jalapeño rounds and a second slice of American (Processed) cheese. Not the kind of thing I would choose for breakfast. But…

SONIC Tots now in stores

SONIC’s legendary Tater Tots are now available at Walmart Super Centers in the frozen aisle. Exclusive deals for new products are traditional at Walmart. WM has the power and the moolah to swing them. But availability of the products usually spreads to other outlets after a while. No word on such plans here…

Baskin Robbins collabs with OREOS

The partnership has produced 2 new treats: the Oreo Mega Stuf Cone and the Oreo Mega Stuf Cappuccino Blast. The Blast is based on B-R’s frozen coffee blended with Oreo Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream, then topped with OREO cream filling and OREO cookie pieces.

OREO Cookie Treats - © 2023 Baskin-Robbins

The Cone is an OREO (chocolate) waffle cone containing two scoops of OREO Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream, topped with OREO creme filling, whipped cream, and OREO cookie pieces. While supplies last…

Snickers débuts new flavour

Butterscotch Scoop is the new Snickers taste sensation. And who doesn’t love Butterscotch? The new bar wraps butterscotch-flavoured nougat with peanuts, caramel and milk chocolate. It’s another exclusive-to-Walmart product launch. And it’s billed as a ‘limited time’ special. No word if it will be available more widely after its Walmart stint.

And that’s the skinny…

… On the top choices for discerning Fast Food devotées and Snack aficionados who don’t mind putting on a few pounds this summer. See you back here in 7 for the next bumper edition of Fast Food Week!

~ Maggie J.