Hallowe’en is still two full months away. But half a dozen treat makers have unveiled their first Hal-lowe’en 2026-themed products. Elsewhere, A&W has announced it’s finally taking the plunge into the 21st Century: a new CEO, a new resto design, and a new slogan…
The Taco Bell ‘Decades’ 2016 Throwback Menu…
The rundown…
It gets pretty wild over there in Japan, when Hello Kitty meets Godzilla! Now, you can see the results in your next McDonald’s Happy Meal…
MAINS
Taco Bell celebrates the Good Old Days
The Bell is bringing back 4 fan fave menu items from the old days – pre-COVID. The 2016 throwback menu includes: the Naked Chicken Chalupa; the Beefy Crunch Burrito; the MexiMelt; and the Caramel Apple Empanada. For a limited time. And, yes – 10 years is now officially a nostalgia ‘cycle’…
Little Caesar’s takes Pizza!Pizza! literally
The chain’s ancient and venerable slogan Pizza!Pizza! gets a workout with the new limited-time, online-only deal. For a limited time, get two large round, regular-crust, 1-topping pizzas for $4.99 each when ordering online through the Little Caesar’s website or mobile app using the promo code ‘PIZZAPIZZA’. Your choice of topping for each pie…
‘Subway comes for Jersey Mike’s’
At least that’s what the food-scene influencers are saying. The two new limited-time menu items do make one think of JM’s, though.
The Hot Honey Pepperoni and Hot Honey Chicken subs both feature the chain’s own Hot Honey sauce. You can customize your breads, toppings, and sauces – though some choices may incur an additional charge.
Buffalo Wild Wings kicks off Fall
… With a special NFL game-day feasting menu, including Mini Corn Dogs and Beef on Weck Sliders. (Check out FFW’s other categories for coordinated beverages, sauces and sides…)
SIDES
Buffalo Wild Wings brings back Buffalo Chips…
The fan-fave, potato kind, that is. It’s part of a football season throwback menu that includes 6 fan-fave game-day treats of yesteryear.
Though they’re billed as a limited-time offering, we suspect they will be around for a fairly long run through the Fall…
… Encore-pours Hot BBQ Sauce
BWW is bringing back its cult-fave Hot BBQ Sauce for its Wings and other dippable chicken goodies.. Some fans call it, “the greatest sauce [Buffalo Wild Wings has] ever had.”For a limited time only, to kick off the NFL game-day feasting season.
BEVERAGES
Dunkin’s announces Fall menu
Dunkin’s Fall Menu features 10 new seasonal bevs. “Dunkin’ is giving us a mix of […] new trend-for-ward flavors and a new celebrity partner, […] teaming up with one of social media’s biggest stars, Alix Earle,” AllRecipes advises…
SONIC + Coke + Dr Pepper = Hotumns
The quartet of ices beverages are perfect for late Summer quaffing, but will also get you ready for Fall with flavours reminiscent of your fave cool-weather steamers.
Dr Pepper-based Blueberry Pie and Coke-based Cherry Pie are ‘dirty’ sodas topped with sweet cream. Sprite-based Harvest Berry and Cranberry Orchard Sweet Tea are classic refreshers.
SNACKS
SALTY
Cheetos unveils new Hallowe’en ‘Flavour of Fear’
The cheese Puff giant is floating a special Hallowe’en variant this year: Sweet Phantom Heat Puffs. Frito-Lay says it creates 4 different flavour sensations in your mouth: heat, tingling, numbing, and even a subtle fizz that builds as you eat them.
Cheetos SPHPs arrive in stores August 31. Meanwhile, Cheetos Bag of Bones White Cheddar and Bag of Bones Cinnamon Sugar return September 14.
Goldfish now gluten-free
The crackers, not the actual fish. After decades sticking to tradition, Goldfish Crackers have released a gluten-free version that claims to embody the true Goldfish experience, but without the gluten. Glut-en-intolerant folks and those simply seeking to avoid gluten can now indulge worry-free…
SWEET
Hershey’s unveils its 2026 Hallowe’en lineup
Hallowe’en is fast becoming an indoor affair in the post-COVID era. Trick-or-Treating is all but dead. But Hershey’s is still a big believer.
The company’s 2026 Hallowe’en menu includes special versions of KitKat, Jolly Rancher, Pirate’s Booty, SkinnyPop and LesserEvil branded treats. And don’t forget those classic Reese’s Pumpkins!
Mallomars are back for Fall
The iconic marshmallow/Graham Cracker/Chocolate Covered cookie is back for its annual Fall ap-pearance. The 113-year-old treat has a fan following that spans all ages and generations.
But why is it seasonal? When the Mallomar first appeared, in 1913, there was no delivery vehicle re-frigeration. The chocolate coating would melt during hot weather. That meant the Mallomar could only be sold from September to March.
Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Snack Cake has competition
Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Cream Pie snack cake has long held a unique place in treatdom. Now, Skippy Peanut Butter and Redefine are coming for her with a new PB&J Oatmeal Protein Pie. The sandwich cake creation features Skippy Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam. And contains a nutrition boost of 14 grams of protein and nine grams of fiber.
M&Ms rolls out new ‘cookie candy’
The Mint Crunchy Cookie Candy is a mashup that seeks to capture the allure of the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie and put it in an M&M.
The new treat – which is currently only available at Walmart stores – is apparently there for a limited time only.
NOVELTIES
McDonald’s débuts Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal
I know it sounds like something you’d see as a Saturday Night Live sketch. But it’s true. Hello Kitty and friends are proving monsters can be cute – when the Kitty is involved.
The special HK + G Happy Meals feature one of 8 collectible figurines The collection includes: Hello Kitty as Godzilla, Chococat as Spacegodzilla, Kuromi as Mechagodzilla, Keroppi as King Ghidorah, Badtz-Maru as Rodan, My Melody as Mothra, Cinnamoroll as Destroyah, and Pompompurin as Gigan. Available now, while supplies last…
EVENTS
Burger King pushes Wendy’s out of second place!
After 6 years in second place on the burger rankings ladder, Wendy’s has been edged out by arch competitor Burger King. BK and Wendy’s have been neck-and-neck behind McDonald’s for decades… But McD’s still reigns supreme, with almost 50 percent of the burger sector to itself…
A&W revamping its decor – and image
The home of the Burger Family is revamping its decor. A&W has revealed the design of its new Resto of the Future, featuring its new slogan: ‘All American Food’.
The new design prototype ‘takes the charm of old-school diners and gives it a modern twist’, giving life to the chain’s mission going forward.
It’s all part of new CEO Betsy Schmandt’s newstalgizing plan, to capitalize on the 105-year-old chain’s all-American drive-in heritage.
AI Burgers tastier than a Big Mac!
An AI system at Stanford University was trained on 2,000 burger recipes. And then asked to come up with its own. Pro chefs were tasked to cook up the top 5, and 100 burger lovers were asked to taste test them.
The result was stunning: Two AI-designed burgers matched or beat a McDonald’s Big Mac for flavor and overall appeal, while a mushroom-and-beef version offered comparable taste scores while also reducing environmental impact…
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some us us a little less skinny in the coming days and weeks. See you back her in 7 for the next Summer-Fall segue edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.