How do they do it? Get so totally coordinated in their marketing plans that every major player is announcing similar value menu updates, returning faves and new products? I guess we could just blame it on climate change…
The rundown…
They’re baaaaaack! And they’re updated for the hone stretch of the race to the end of summer… Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Pub Menu, Dunkin’s Beverage Buckets, and Domino’s 1/2 Price Pizza deal…
MAINS
Pizza Hut updates Value Menu with Mac & Cheese
The $6 Triple Cheese Mac & Cheese is a highlight of the new PH Throwback Value Menu, along with S’Mores dessert Sticks. The menu also includes $5 Cinnamon Sticks; a $10 Medium 1-Topping Stuffed Crust Pizza; a $3 Personal 1-Topping Pan Pizza; $4 Breadsticks; $4 Cinnamon Sticks; and a $3 2-liter bottle of Pepsi.
Domino’s enhances 1/2 price Pizza deal
Domino’s 1/2 Price Pizza deal seems too good to be true. Now it’s even more unbelievable! It’s at participating locations US-wide now, featuring 9 medium and large pies. Order online or in-store. And do it ASAP, because we don’t know low long it will be around.
Wendy’s reprises Pretzel Bacon Pub menu
The Little Red-haired Girl’s extended family now has pretzel buns again, for a limited time. The ex-panded Pretzel Bacon Pub menu is back with:
… a Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger; a Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger; and a Pretzel Bacon Pub Chicken Sandwich. And don’t forget the Bacon Pub Fries…
Arby’s updates Meat & 3 Box Deal
They’ve added their Buffalo Chicken Sandwich as an option, joining the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Ham & Swiss Melt. With your choice from those three sammys, the Meat & 3 Box also gives you: Small Curly Fries, Crinkle Fries, or 2 Potato Cakes; 2 Mozzarella Sticks; a Peach Cobbler Roll; and a Small Drink…
Heat-and-Eat: Perdue Chicken Powers-Up Bites
‘No fillers, no shortcuts, real chicken’, the package proudly declares. And 20 g of added protein per serving. Perdue Powered Chicken comes in three formats: Nuggets, strips and Bites. They’re in the ‘frozen’ aisle.
“…As families’ needs evolved, we challenged ourselves to answer a simple question: How could we authentically deliver more protein while keeping our ingredients list short and staying true to what makes chicken, chicken?” said Perdue Senior Vice President Chris Perdue.
As for ‘authenticity’, we can definitively state that the new Perdue products are made from real chicken white meat, not mechan-ically-deboned ‘pink slime’ mush…
SIDES
Taco Bell (over)loads Nacho Fries
New Pepper Jack Steak Nacho Fries, starts with grilled marinated steak, then piles on Pepper Jack Sauce, warm nacho cheese sauce, Pico de Gallo, and a three-cheese blend of Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, and cheddar. For a limited time, at participating TB locations US-wide.
BEVERAGES
McDonald’s + Red Bull = Dragonberry Energizer
Its a first for McD’s – and a major feather in Red Bull’s cap, to have been chosen as the energy drink partner in the deal. The Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer is described as a layered purple and green beverage, featuring Red Bull, McD’s blue raspberry flavouring and chunks freeze-dried Dragonfruit. The beverage – an import from the now-closed CosMc’s program – officially comes to a resto near you August 18…
Dunkin’ brings back Bev Buckets
The doughnut diva is bringing back its controversial 48 oz beverage buckets – with enhancements. Fans told Dunkin’s that the big bevs needed better transportation infrastructure So the chain devised a new ‘cup holder adapter’.
And the deal comes back (for a limited time) with three new flavours: Cherry Lime Rickey Refresher, Pink Pineapple Sparkling Refresher, Iced Coffee with Peanut Butter Swirl…
SONIC pours ‘discount’ Slush
The chain is offering 79-cent slushes from August 10 to 24. It’s loosely connected to the 99-cent Corn Dog deal, covered in greater detail under snacks, below. It’s a limited-time offer, and it’s limited to 5 discount Slushes per customer. At participating SONIC locations…
DESSERTS & SNACKS
SALTY
SONIC declares Corn Dog Thursdays
SONIC – as it often does – has put a cheeky spin on a summer classic. It’s offering 99-cent Corn Dogs every Thursday this month. At participating locations US-wide. That’s about half-price, based on the average regular price of a Corn Dog at the nation’s ‘last real drive-in’…
SWEET
Chips Ahoy! floats new Mystery Cookie
It’s not the first time a snack maker has mined the ‘mystery flavour’ vein. But it’s a first for Chips Ahoy! The limited-edition Mystery Cookie, is the focus of a new challenge…
… in which snack lovers can win $25,000 – if they can figure out what the secret flavour is. Visit CHIPSAHOYMystery.com to enter the sweepstakes. The cookies actually arrive in retail stores this coming Monday, August 10…
Taco Bell cooks up a dessert Crunchwrap
The Bell is testing what looks like a real winner of a new dessert item… It’s the Crème Brulée Crunch-wrap Slider, filled with a gush of vanilla custard, grilled to crispy perfection, and coated with cinna-mon sugar. I always knew the Cruchwrap concept was destined for greater things!
Jimmy John’s intros PB&J stuffed cookie
It’s a big plop of grape jelly, enrobed in a thin, cakey shell of peanut butter cookie with peanut chunks. Same size and price as JJ’s regular-menu chocolate Chip and Oatmeal-Raisin cookies. But PB&J is here for a limited time only, now through October 14, while supplies last…
Novelties
KFC + OREO = Chicken Flavoured Cookies
It’s one of those ‘a promo too far’ Asian stunts the major brands like to pull. Stunts that wouldn’t fly in the West. OREO and KFC have partnered on a standard-format OREO chocolate wafer sandwich cookie…
… filled with a speckled amber savoury filling designed to remind you of KFC’s signature ’11 herbs and spices’ seasoning blend. The limited-time offering is just one element of a broader OREO ‘Playful Time Travel’ Collection.
KFC UK goes Indian with Tandoori Chicken
The sammy swaps out the traditional KFC bun in favour of new ‘classic Naan’ flatbread. And tops the crispy-fried chicken breast with a new signature Tandoori Sauce. The Crispy Naan ‘family’ includes the Tandoori Zinger and a Creamy Original Crispy Naan sandwich, along with Tandoori Loaded Fries. There’s also a Tandoori Dipping Feast meal deal. And it’s only in the UK, where Asian takeaway has become afront-and-centre feature of everyday life…
Events
Door Dash launches Door Dash Air
DDA is a new, full-scale drone delivery service, the ultimate goal of which, the ordering and fulfill-ment service says is, “to simplify deliveries for merchants, allowing them to serve customers more efficiently with faster, more seamless delivery times.” Average order delivery time for the new service is estimated at 25 minutes. The drone fleet joins DD’s ground fleet of autonomous delivery vehicles, introduced last Fall.
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some of us a little less heat-resistant in the coming days and weeks. See you back here in 7 for the next ‘climate change-ravaged summer’ edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.