Here we are, late again, thanks to the New Year’s holiday falling on the weekend. Better late than never! The Fast Food news beat was pretty quiet in the ‘down’ week between Christmas and New Year’s, but murmurs of impending menu changes and 2021 favourites lists could still be heard…
The new Taco Bell $5 Chalupa Cravings Box: A real deal!
Spiderman’s fave doughnut shop is real!
In the movie Spiderman: No Way Home, Peter Pan Doughnuts of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, plays a major location ‘role’: It’s where Spidey’s girlfriend Mary Jane works, part time. The spot was chosen for the spotlight by one of the film’s producers who lives nearby, and knows the shop has been a neighbourhood icon for more than 60 years. So… Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Peter Pan if you’re going to be in Brooklyn. No telling who you’ll run into!
Del Taco rolls out new ’20 Under $2′ menu
Del’s – which recently merged with Jack In The Box to form a new first-tier Fast Food power – is celebrating the new year with a big upgrade: it’s former ‘Del’s Dollar Deals’ menu is being expanded and upgraded, and renamed the ‘2o Under $2’ selection.
Not enough room to list all the options here, but I can tantalize you with word of a whole new selection of tacos, burritos, rollers and beverages…
Taco Bell refreshes $5 Chalupa Cravings Box
It’s back and it now includes a Chalupa Supreme, a Burrito Supreme, a soft taco, Cinnamon Twists, and a medium fountain drink. As usual, it’s around for a limited time at participating locations across the U.S.
SONIC’s Patty Melt comes around again
SONIC is brushing off and brushing up its old-fashioned Patty Melt sandwich for a limited-time comeback! It’s two slices of Texas Toast bookending a quarter-pound beef patty topped with grilled onions, two slices of American (Processed) cheese, mayo, and mustard. You can also order a Double Patty Melt (2 patties). And… You can take advantage of a very special 50 percent discount on the Patty Melt if you order using the mobile app.
Church’s offers a special 10-Piece Deal
Church’s Chicken is tempting fans with a very special 10-pieces-for-$10.99 deal. (The price actually varies a bit depending on where you live.) Another reason it’s special is, the pieces are all legs and thighs! That’s a rarity.
You can order their “10 Piece Dark” or “10 Piece Dark Spicy” Family Value Meal. If you don’t want the ‘fixin’s’, you can select the ‘Chicken Only’ option.
Arby’s reprises beloved Mac & Cheese…
Arby’s bringing back its much-lauded White Cheddar Mac & Cheese for a limited time. You can order it on its own, or as part of Arby’s 2 for $6 mix-and-match deal. Get it while you can!
…Brings back Mint Chocolate Shake
It’s a great-looking glassful, built on a base of vanilla Soft Serve blended with Mint Syrup, topped with Whipped Cream, a Chocolate Drizzle and crushed Mint pieces.
Industry observers note that mint-themed menu items usually make their comeback in the fall, and again at St. Patrick’s Day. But Arby’s has opted to bring it back now, a cunning move to contrast itself with the competition, who are concentrating on other flavours.
Chick-Fil-A reveals most-ordered dishes of 2021
Are you a CFA fan? Is your fave dish one of the most beloved among your ilk? CFA has released a list of its most-ordered (i.e.- most popular) menu items of 2021. Topping the list, in all regions of the U.S., is not the famous Chicken Sandwich, but humble-though-adored Waffle Fries (see photo, top of page). The sandwich comes in down the list at number 3 or 4 depending on where you live. Among all the other dishes that show up, only Hash Browns and CFA’s iconic Mac & Cheese make all the regional fave lists.
Media Alert! TikTok Launches Kitchen
It seems like fantasy made real, but Tik Tok, in partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC) will soon launch a ghost-kitchen resto operation called TikTok Kitchen, which will offer dishes that went viral on the social networking platform for delivery to your door.
Delicacies from the past year that made the initial menu include Baked Feta Pasta, Corn Ribs, Smashburgers and Pasta Chips. he Kitchen will launch with about 300 locations in key U.S. markets, expanding to around 1,000 by the end of this year.
Int’l Alert! COVID, climate taking toll on Japanese Fries
It’s a tenuous connection, at best, but the COVID pandemic has triggered a french fry crisis in Japan. It’s al about the west cost port disruptions compounded by unprecedented flash floods and landslides in British Columbia. (Yes, Japan’s McFries come from Canada. Gert over it.) As a result, some 2,900 McOutlets have removed medium and large fries from combos – small fries only – as a conservation measure until the shortage eases, sometime later this year. McD’s Japan is compensating combo lovers financially with a minor discount reflecting the reduced size of their fries.
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some of us a little fatter over the opening weeks and months of 2022. See you back here next Saturday for the next edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.