Lots of news from Pizzaville this past week. Domino’s, The Hut and Little Caesar’s all weighted in with noteworthy announcements. While Dominos is giving away millions of freebies, Wendy’s is offering free breakfasts. And Krispy Kreme is collabing with Hershey’s on S’mores Doughnuts…
S’mores Dughnuts: Krispy Kreme’s collabs with Hershey’s look
every bit as ‘more-ish’ as the original campfire teat!
Dominos dives into ‘Surprise Frees’ promo
Dominos knows folks hate being hit with surprise extra charges when they order through mobile and online apps. So they’re countering those surprise fees by giving away ‘surprise frees’ – up to 5 million surprise freebies worth up to $50 million. It’s the biggest promo campaign yet for a brand’s internet ordering system. Free items include: Hand Tossed Pizzas, Boneless Chicken, Handmade Pan Pizzas, Stuffed Cheesy Bread, Crunchy Thin Crust Pizzas and Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes.
Pizza Hut intros Beyond Meat Pepperoni
The Hut is dipping its figurative feet in spicy new waters, trying out plant-based Pepperoni on pies at selected locations in Albany, NY; Columbus and Macon, GA; Houston, TX; and Jacksonville, FL. Beyond Pepperoni Pizza is available for a limited time for now. If the fan feedback is positive, the plant-based Pep may show up as a permanent offering across the chain.
Little Caesar’s Testing Chicken Dippers
Little Caesar’s, finally cluing-in to the Chicken Reality, is testing Chick-N-Dippers at selected locations in locations in Albuquerque, NM, and Pahrump, NV. The product is made from boneless chicken breast meat, oven baked rather than deep-fried, and the Dippers are larger than most other brands’ Chicken Nugget clones. You can get any of three dipping sauces: BBQ, Buffalo, or Garlic Parm.
‘Free Breakfast’ promo at Wendy’s
Wendy’s is blasting out free breakfast sandwiches today. Just walk up to the counter during breakfast hours and ask for either a Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant, or Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant for free. It’s an aggressive promo, offered at participating locations only. Seems a number of Fast Food majors have launched what might be termed drastic-discount or substantial-item-for-free promos in the past couple of weeks. This in spite of recent reports that annual Fast Food sales are up over the past 12 months, compared to the 12 months preceding. The COVID crisis is grudgingly falling under control with the global vaccination program – and the Fast Food biggies are back into the eternal battle for market share in an overcrowded, stagnant sector.
Krispy Kreme, Hershey’s collab on S’mores Doughnuts
Summer is the season for Camp, and Camp is where S’mores were invented. In recognition of National S’mores Day (August 10), KK started offering a pair of S’mores fancy doughnuts. They’re available for a limited time. The S’mores Classic (Filled) Doughnut is filled with marshmallow Kreme, dipped in Hershey’s chocolate icing, drizzled with more marshmallow Kreme and chocolate icing, and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs. The S’mores Fudge Cake Doughnut is a Hershey’s fudge cake ring doughnut with marshmallow icing, drizzled with Hershey’s chocolate icing and sprinkled with chocolate chips.
CHEESIT Crackers opens online ‘Headquarters’
CHEESIT fans now have a new destination to set as their default browser page: CHEESIT.com. The site’s début headline reads NEW FLAVORS & MERCH HAVE ARRIVED! The new flavours are all ‘Extra Crispy’, and include ‘Original’, Spicy, Cheesy and Jack (Cheese). The merch includes hats, socks, aprons, hoodies and an adult onesie, along with beer and wine cozies. Fans can subscribe to receive regular newsletters and qualify for special offers and exclusive products.
Alcoholic Mountain Dew is in the works
Don’t know if we really need this product or not. But spiked Mountain Dew is coming, early next year, via a collab between Pepsico and The Boston Beer Company. HARD MTN DEW will début in three flavours: ‘Original’, Black Cherry and Watermelon. All are labeled ‘Zero Sugar’, and 5 percent alcohol by volume. I still prefer to slosh up an instant faux Margarita by mixing a shot of Tequila with about 3 oz. / 90 ml of plain old original Dew over crushed ice.
Dairy Queen brings back Extreme Blizzard
Reese’s Extreme Blizzard, to be precise. And it’s the Blizzard Flavour of the Month for August. It starts with basic vanilla soft serve and adds: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces morsels, mixed with creamy peanut butter topping and chocolaty topping. It’s available all month at selected DQ locations.
And that’s the skinny…
… On what’s going to be making some of us fatter in the waning days of summer. See you back here in 7 for the next mouthwatering edition of Fast Food Week!
~ Maggie J.