Back to the usual mainstream, eclectic mishmash of new product announcements, limited-time offerings and seasonal specials this week! Even though one brand is pushing Easter a little… Highlights include a new contactless drive-thru pizza experience and McDonald’s takes Tex-Mex to Spain!
Artist’s Concept: The Fly Pie ‘drive thru the hangar’ contactless pizza…
Fly Pie Pizza takes off
Fly Pie Pizza is a new drive through concept that makes your pie for you as you drive through the building, not just the side lane. It’s first location has just opened in Henderson, Nevada. “You order your food and enter our tunnel. This is a one-of-a-kind fast food dining experience, engaging every sense as you drive through,” the website explains. “Kids are thrilled because they can see a new cartoon every time you visit, projected on a giant screen with Hollywood-level production values.” You can also choose from a variety of wings and loaded fries. The keyword in its promo bumpf is ‘contactless’.
Jack in the Box rolls out Ultimate Cheese
Jack is loading up its signature round sourdough buns with two patties and two difference cheeses. It’s called the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger with Sourdough buns, and it stacks up like this:
2 grilled beef patties, hickory-smoked bacon, American (Processed) and Swiss cheeses and grilled onions. Available for a limited time only, but at all JITB locations.
Forget St. Patrick’s Day – Peeps rolls out Easter!
It used to be that candy and snack brands rolled out specialty items for the nest big holiday on the calendar the day after the last one. Now they’re jumping holidays in favour of ones that are further down the road but bigger for them. Witness the Peeps Easter 2022 line official launch – of new and returning products. There are 15 Peeps treats that will be generally available, plus 5 that are exclusive to Target and 3 that are exclusive to Walmart. I remember when Peeps were just Peeps, and the whole thing wasn’t so confusing. *SIGH*
Del Taco does Stuffed Quesadilla Breakfast Tacos
DT has teamed a quasi-quesadilla wrapper with breakfast fillings to create two new Quesadilla Breakfast Tacos: Hashbrowns, Eggs and Bacon, and Hashbrowns, Eggs and Cheese.
The wrapper is really just two flour tortillas, but the effect of a thick, soft quesadilla wrapper is achieved. Get ’em now. No telling when they may be put into hiatus…
Taco Bell, Klondike partner on dessert
The Bell has been an ultra-active developer of new menu items since its corporate rebirth a couple of years back. The stated goal was to streamline the menu and focus on its core products – i.e.- tacos. But you can stretch that envelope a lot, in many ways.
Witness the new Klondike Choco Taco: a waffle cone ‘taco shell’ filled with fudge-swirled vanilla ice cream and topped with peanuts and chocolate dip. Just like one of my faves way back when I was a kid: the Drumstick. But reimagined in taco form. Available for a limited time, on test, at 10 Bell locations each in Milwaukee and the Los Angeles area.
Hostess boosts Coffee-flavoured Donettes
They’re called Boosts, and you can get either Chocolate Mocha or Caramel Macchiato flavour. One doughnut – they claim – equals one cup of coffee in caffeine zip. And they’re Jumbo Donettes, three times the size of original Hostess Donettes mini doughnuts. Team one with a cup of Joe and fly all day…
M&Ms débuts new centre
You know the chocolate and peanut centres in classic M&Ms. Now imagine one made of crispy rice. That’s the latest innovation M&Ms has come up with, launching new Honey Graham-flavoured centres.
No special occasion. Just a notion they had, I guess. I expect the texture of the new centres will approximate the lightness and crunch of Maltesers…
Coke spaces out
Co0ca Cola has launched a new flavour – called Starlight – which the company described as ‘space inspired’. One blogger who’s tasted it described the flavour as basically regular Coke blended with generic berry and a soft smooth sweetness. And overall, refreshing, like a swish of minty mouthwash. It’s around for a limited time only, of course.
International Alert: Papa John’s tries Hemp Sticks
Calm down! That’s non-psychoactive Hemp, folks. The stuff they use fibre from to make textiles. The bread sticks are regular PJ’s garlic dough topped with cheese – and Hemp seeds.
Hemp seeds are touted as a superfood, full of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients. The hitch, for now at least, is that the new treats are only available at selected locations in the UK and Russia.
International Alert: McDonald’s takes Tex Mex to Spain
For a start, they know nothing of Nachos in Spain. In fact, a Tortilla there is a thick, fluffy omelet full of meat and veggies. So why is McD’s doing this? Who knows. McD’s already offers Nachos with Cheese Sauce (basic chips and cheese, like most overpriced stadium Nachos). But they’re floating 2 new menu items: The Grand McExtreme Nachos burger features a single grilled patty, cheese, tomato, yellow corn tortilla chips, nacho cheese sauce, and onions on a toasted bun. They’re also proffering McShaker Frieds, which come with a packet of cheese seasoning, in a bag so you can shake them in the seasoning.
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some of us a little fatter over the coming days and weeks. See you back here in 7 for the next edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.