Summer time, and the livin’ is thirsty. At least, that’s what the Fast Food and fizzy bev purveyors say. Most of our new and returning product flags this week have to do with quenchers. But there are some solid-food menu item announcements and a couple of new snacks…
7-Eleven’s new Hot Honey Boneless Wings…
7-Eleven pops boneless Wings
The ‘little convenience store that could’ has added another feature item to its growing take-out food menu: Hot Honey Boneless Wings. The large, breaded, deep-fried chicken chunks are doused in a sweet honey chili glaze, roasted garlic, and chili pepper. Available until June 28 at a special price of $5 for a 16-count pack.
Jimmy John’s releases new Chicken Wraps
The sammy guys are bringing back their popular Chicken Caesar Wrap and adding a new Thai Chicken Wrap for summer. The Thai Wrap features pulled white-meat chicken, Satay Sauce, carrot ‘noodles’, lettuce, onion, cucumber, and mayo in a plain flour tortilla.
The Caesar starts with the same chicken, and adds parmesan cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ranch seasoning, Creamy Caesar Dressing, and mini croutons, in a garlic & herb tortilla. Available through August 1.
For the crunch-poppers: Waffle Crisp is back
Post Waffle Crisp cereal – once a fave not only in breakfast bowls but as a poppable snack in front of the screen, is back after a 4-year hiatus. Post said it would take a fan outcry to make that happen and that’s what happened. It’s due back on the shelves next month, in regular and family size boxes.
Twix Cookie Dough Bars are coming
They’ll be generally available in December, but a special pre-release taste is being offered to fans in celebration of Cookie Day, June 21. The first 1,000 people to visit twix.com/cookiedough on National Cookie Dough Day can enter their information. The game is afoot only after the countdown ticker hits ‘zero’. Winners will receive a confirmation e-mail.
MTN Dew hails ‘Summer of Baja’
The DEW is pumping out three new quenchers for what it calls the ‘Summer of Baja’: Baja Blast and Baja Blast Zero Sugar are back, and Baja Mango Gem and Baja Gold, are all new.
And check out the DEW’s summer contest, The Lost Treasures of Baja Island Sweepstakes, to find out more about a special Baja DEW – Baja Deep Dive – and learn how to enter at TreasuresOfBajaIsland.com.
McDonald’s offers free Sprite on June 21
Welcome the first day of summer with a drop-in at McD’s and get a free Sprite – any size. The catch? You have to order something from the current menu costing at least $1, via the mobile app. It’s a one-time offer, only at participating McD’s locations. Another gimmicky promo to get customers to use the app. Once the vast majority of fans are using the app, McD’s can pretty much get rid of its counter sales infrastructure, saving big time on operating costs. And yes, all the other fast food brands are doing the same.
Chipotle pours Watermelon-Lime
Chipotle – like most other pop resto brands – has introduced a new flagship summer bev. Watermelon Limeade is a collab with Tractor Beverage Co.
It’s made with all-natural, certified organic, non-GMO ingredients, with no additives or preservatives. And it’s a limited-time offering, as you might expect.
Intl. Alert: Pepsi Japan does Chicken Cola
Well, not really. But they have released a new beverage designed to be consumed with the popular Japanese Fried Chicken known as Karaage (see photo, top of page). Pepsi Karaage features reduced sugar and carbonation and increased dietary fibre content. The idea is to complement the flavour of fried chicken and refresh the palate between bites. We’ll see…
Litigation Alert: Amazon sued over Delivery
Amazon Prime is being sued after it discontinued free delivery of Whole Foods orders. Members are furious that Amazon has, without fanfare or waning, gone from free to $9.95 per order. Most other food delivery services are charging between $8 and $11 right now, and soaring gas prices are expected to send the fees even higher. As for the Whole Foods situation, in particular: I think folks who can afford to buy their groceries at that luxy, pricey shop should be able to afford the new delivery fee.
And that’s the skinny…
…. On what will be making some of us a little larger and wider over the coming weeks of deep summer. See you back here in 7 for the next edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.