Maybe the quietest week of the year. All’s quiet on the Value Wars front. The Fast Food slingers are laying low, waiting for 2025 to kick in! And their customers were concentrating on last-minute shopping, Christmas Dinner prep, and holiday visiting…
The simple, classic, maybe best-in-class Arby’s Crispy Fish Sandwich….
The rundown…
Snacks hog the spotlight… The Fast Food world is taking a few days off for family. But nobody’s singing ‘Silent Night’ across No Brand’s Land…
Mains
Crispy Fish back at Arby’s pre-Lent
The Crispy Fish Sandwich is only available at Arby’s for Lent each year. Though some insist it’s the best fish sandwich on the entire Greater Fast Food menu. Try the Original Crispy Fish, the Fish ‘N Cheddar, or the King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe sandwich. Although Lent isn’t for months, yet, all three Crispy Fish variants are already at participating Arby’s restaurants chain-wide for a limited time.
Beverages
Starbuck’s reveals fancy new Winter 2025 Menu
In spite of the recent deep-cutting, squeeze-streamlining crusade being led by Starbuck’s new CEO Brian Niccol, the chain is adding no fewer than 8 new specialty beverages (plus complementary snacks and desserts) for Winter 2025.
Five new Matcha and Espresso drinks launch right after New Year’s. New Frappés and Lattés follow the first week of February, along with the food treats.
Desserts & Snacks
Lays floods the market with limited-time chips
It’s a first and it’s also a ‘largest’ promo unlike snackdom has seen before. Lays is now distributing almost 30 new and returning Original and Ruffles flavours randomly across the US. On a limited-time, while supplies last basis…
… Plus more than dozens more new and returning Dotritos, Tostitos, Cheetos, Popcorners, Funyuns, Sunchip and Rolled Gold Pretzel snacks. They’re calling it Winter 2024. Complete lists at various Lat’s and individual brand websites…
Snickers reprises Rockin Nut Road
Snickers is shipping a new, limited-time variety: Rockin Nut Road. It’s described as: A Snickers that’s inspired by Rocky Road Ice Cream. Featuring roasted almonds, marshmallow-flavored nougat, and caramel, covered in dark chocolate. It’s the first stint back on limited-time rotation for his decadent bar, not seen since 2017.
Goldfish floating 5 new flavours
The original fish-shaped cracker is celebrating Ne Year’s with 5 new varieties: Barbecue and Spicy Dill Pickle Crisps, and Strawberry Shortcake, Vanilla Cupcake, and Cinnamon Roll Graham crackers.
“After last year’s pickle craze and knowing how beloved Barbecue flavor is for salty snacks, we couldn’t resist releasing these crave-worthy new additions.” Mike Fanelli, Senior Director of Snacks Marketing at Goldfish. “Our permanent additions to the Goldfish Grahams line come after a surge in popularity.”
Events
Favourite Cookie Survey results
Google’s most-searched Holiday Cookie Recipe survey is out. And it revels that, while there is general agreement on other aspects of holiday menus, folks in different parts of the country favour a wide variety of different grab-and-go sweet treats. But a whopping majority agree that the season wouldn’t be the same without what are broadly defined as ‘Festive’ cookies. Specifically, Italian Christmas Cookies (see photo, top of page) attracted the most interest.
Novelties
McDonald’s lavishes compete Holiday Menu on UK
It’s kind of an 8-item, 2-part offering with McD’s ‘deluxe’ Burgers and dippers on one page, and various sweet selections from Terry’s (the Chocolate Orange People) and Galaxy Bar chocolate.
The limited-time men is headlined by the McD’s UK Big Tasty Burger and New Cheesy McCrispy Chicken sandwich. The latter is tanalizingly described as: “A crispy-fried chicken breast filet served with lettuce, crispy-fried onions, pickled onion chutney, bacon, Emmental cheese, and ‘deluxe’ cheese sauce on a toasted sesame seed sourdough-style bun.”
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some of us soft and plump as the pillow under Santa’s coat over the coming days and weeks. See you back here in 7 for the next ice cold edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.