Nation’s Restaurant News On the Go Newsletter #13
Nation's Restaurant News
The #1 source of news and business intelligence for restaurant and foodservice industry professionals
Big days ahead
Hey readers,
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister here. It was a big week for menu and marketing news at QSRs. Chick-fil-A is testing plant-based menu items for the first time with a proprietary cauliflower sandwich in test markets. They invited my colleague Alicia down to HQ to test it out — and based on her review, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it systemwide before long. They really took their time with this one, developing it over four years, but only time will tell if that strategy pays off with consumers.
Taco Bell, meanwhile, is going big with menu marketing for some sort of big sporting event happening this weekend. It’s serving a Big A** Mexican Pizza (asterisks theirs; I’m not afraid of a little cursing) only on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz., where the Super Bowl is taking place. Taco Bell also announced last month that it was bringing back wings for the occasion, and surely lots of other restaurant brands are leaning into the fact that Americans will be gathering around their television sets.
The Super Bowl, of course, is immediately followed by Valentine’s Day, and chains are going hard on their marketing for that as well — in addition to the usual heart-shaped pizzas, Jimmy John’s partnered with a rapper, Denny’s is offering Valentine’s cards, and Hooters has a deal for their single patrons.
You won’t find me watching football on Sunday or with a sweetheart on Tuesday, but you will find me catching up with all these brands and more in the weeks ahead to find out how these events impact sales and traffic. In the meantime, click through the links below to learn more.
Chick-fil-A is testing a proprietary cauliflower sandwich
Starting Monday, Chick-fil-A will begin testing its first plant-forward entrée, the Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich, at restaurants in the Denver, Charleston, South Carolina, and Greensboro-Triad, North Carolina, region.
The sandwich features a tender filet cut from a whole cauliflower, marinated and breaded with the brand’s signature seasoning, pressure cooked and served on a toasted buttery bun with two dill pickle chips.
How Chick-fil-A’s Cauliflower Sandwich came to life
Considering Stuart Tracy’s culinary background, it seems a bit serendipitous that Chick-fil-A’s first foray into the plant-based category would feature a cauliflower filet. The chef and former restaurant owner first tried fried cauliflower in 2013.
Chick-fil-A's cauliflower sandwich goes to test on Monday, including in Charleston. The product has gone through about four years of iterations in which Tracy, the chain’s culinary developer, and his team tried dozens of iterations using everything from mushrooms to legumes to beets. Yet, they kept coming back to cauliflower.
Taco Bell launches another Mexican Pizza in Arizona for the Super Bowl
Taco Bell is launching the Big A** Mexican Pizza just in time for the Super Bowl to select fans in Glendale, Ariz. — home of the 2023 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 12.
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Available to select Taco Bell Fire! Tier rewards fans who were chosen at random in January via the app, the pizza is four times the size of a traditional Mexican Pizza and is meant to be shared.
Taco Bell relaunches wings just in time for the Big Game
Taco Bell relaunched wings for a limited time. The wings, which come in a group of eight and are coated in queso seasoning, were last seen on the menu for a brief time last January before selling out. The wings cost $6.99.
Restaurant brands flex marketing muscle for Valentine’s Day
Feb. 14, or Valentine’s Day, frequently brings forth a wide variety of marketing approaches among restaurant brands. From CPK, Denny’s and Jimmy John’s to Hooters and North Italia, the approaches vary in catching the consumers’ eye. This year, they range from the traditional to the slightly bawdy and employ everything from YouTube to traditional Valentine’s Day cards.
NRN Launches its Chicken Showdown: Vote for your favorite chicken chain!
Welcome to the Chicken Showdown, the third showdown from Nation's Restaurant News. In this iteration, we are pitting nine of the most innovative chicken chains from all over the country against one another..
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1yYou Have vacancy
Kitchen Manager at Taco Mac
1ySo is that Chick-fil-A sandwich for vegans or vegetarian?