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Dunkin' Donuts Is Banking on All-Day Sandwiches

Susannah Chen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:15:17 PST

Looks like Starbucks and McDonald's aren't the only two chains who want a piece of breakfast between bread: starting this week, Dunkin' Donuts introduces two new sandwich offerings, to be offered at DD locations throughout the day - including breakfast, of course.

The new sandwiches will "be familiar, but with a twist," said Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin' Brands' executive chef and head of product innovation. The Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich contains Black Forest ham, white cheddar, and a creamy dijon mustard sauce; Turkey, Cheddar, & Bacon is made with turkey, white cheddar, bacon, and ancho chipotle sauce. Both are made to order on a croissant, bagel, or the new baked-fresh-daily French roll.

The announcement of these all-day sandwiches arrives just as Taco Bell rolls out its First Meal menu of breakfast items. Still, Dunkin' is quick to explain what differentiates the brand's ham and bacon sandwiches from similar breakfast sandwich offerings already on the market. "We think our bakery leadership is a real differentiator in our brand," Frankenthaler told us. "Our guests already know us and love us for our fresh bagels (we're the number one retailer of bagels in the United States) and croissants."

Providing all-day options is "extremely important for Dunkin’ Donuts," he added. "Breakfast sandwiches are popular with our guests, and they like the flexibility to enjoy them throughout the day."

With first Taco Bell and now Dunkin' Donuts taking the mornings to another level, it's clear that the fast-food AM wars won't be letting up anytime soon. Will you try a new sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts?

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Chick-fil-A Introduces Healthy Kids' Meal, But Will Kids Eat It?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:34:56 PST

New year, new menu! If mama's New Year's resolution included cleaning up the lil one's menu, she has a new ally on her side. This week, Chick-fil-A, the Southern fast-food chicken chain, is introducing a new kids' menu meal - Grilled Chicken Nuggets. The all-breast meat, gluten-free Grilled Nuggets have only 80 calories and one gram of fat (for four) compared to 130 calories and six grams of fat in the traditionally fried nuggets. The quick-service chain is also introducing Buddy Fruits Pure Blended Fruit to Go applesauce and one percent milk to round out the meal, making it one of the healthiest kids' meals available.

Given the national childhood obesity epidemic, it's great to see a national chain making an effort to keep our kids healthy. The biggest problem now will be getting families to order the healthier meal when Chick-fil-A's famous fried versions are still readily available.

Dunkin' Donuts Moves West

Susannah Chen — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:03:24 PDT

We've been following what Dunkin' Donuts has been up to for years and we'll finally be able to see if the chain lives up to its hype. After years of customers begging and pleading, Dunkin' is expanding west.

The Massachusetts-based doughnut and coffee chain plans to open up to 250 new stores in the next two years - and to hit the 15,000 mark in the next 20 years. (To put things in perspective, McDonald's currently operates 14,000 locations in America.) So far, research analysts have been skeptical of Dunkin' Donuts's success outside of the Northeast, given the disproportionate number of coffee and snack stores in the West.

As someone who's long been enamored with the chain's unique items, like cocoa yeast doughnuts and sausage pancake bites, I'm hoping that's not the case. West Coasters, what do you think of a new Dunkin' Donuts in your neighborhood?

Hey, Fast Food: What's With All the Snacks?

Susannah Chen — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:41:59 PDT

Remember BK Burger Shots, Burger King's attempt to roll out mini hamburgers? Well, the fast food chain has announced today that it's bringing them back, along with other finger foods, like petite-sized breaded chicken sandwiches.

The press release positioned BK Minis as perfect during mini golf or on a minibreak. But I'd like to know: what's the real reason behind this new fast food trend of all things mini? After all, Burger King's simply the latest of a slew of chains to roll out graze-worthy offerings to fast food diners.

McDonald's advertises an extensive line of "Go Wraps," Dunkin' Donuts has its new Hearty Snacks Menu, and even Starbucks has come out with snack-sized Bistro Boxes.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm somewhat bewildered by this sudden surge of snack options. It's not often that I pop into Burger King when I'm craving an afternoon snack; I'd be much more inclined to grab a bag of pretzels from the corner bodega instead. Are fast food snacks going to catch on, or are they destined for failure?

Healthy Fast Food: Love It or Hate It?

Susannah Chen — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:33:00 PDT

Healthful Southern food may sound like a paradox, but for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, it's now a reality. The Atlanta-based fast food chain has just launched a new, diet-friendly "Louisiana Leaux - Get up & Geaux!" menu, with a focus on foods that contain fewer calories, less fat, and lower sodium.

On the menu: a meal of seasoned chicken tenders, green beans, and toasted baguette roll; a chicken wrap made with a cheese tortilla, chicken tenders, lettuce, and pickles; a chicken tender po' boy baguette with barbecue sauce, lettuce, and pickles; and a new kids meal, with naked chicken tenders, applesauce, toasted baguette roll, and no-calorie drink.

Popeyes follows other fast food companies, such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Jack in the Box, who've recently opted to offer more nutritious items such as fruit sides on their menus. Do you welcome this change, or does it seem like a contradictory move to you?

Jack in the Box Hopes to Boost Sales With Menu Changes

Susannah Chen — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:36:12 PDT

In hopes of boosting sales, Jack in the Box is thinking, well, outside of the box. Amidst criticism that the fast food chain has lost brand focus, the company has announced plans to drop toys from kids' meals, add new menu options for children such as apple bites, and cut a number of premium food items, among them the mini sirloin burgers, steak teriyaki bowl, pita snacks, and chorizo burger. These changes, Jack in the Box executives hope, will help the staggering chain distinguish itself from competitors.

Jack in the Box claims that the move to kill toys in kids' meals wasn't in response to outside pressure, but the hubbub surrounding Happy Meal bans couldn't have hurt its decision. Note that while other fast food establishments like McDonald's and Chipotle have been seeing growth, Jack in the Box sales still haven't managed to return to pre-recession levels. Do you think dropping the toys from kids' meals and simplifying the menu will kick-start sluggish sales?

Source: Flickr User Roca Chang

5 Indulgent Fast-Food Frozen Treats Under 300 Calories

Leta Shy — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:23:59 PDT

The frozen yogurt trend has given us so many more options than calorie-rich ice cream, but sometimes you get the kind of craving that only a cheap fast-food frozen dessert can fix. Calorie-wise, a soft-serve cone is usually the best option (a reduced fat vanilla ice cream cone at McDonald's, for example, is 150 calories and 3.5 grams of fat).

If you're looking for something more indulgent, however, there are a few options that'll satisfy any bored sweet tooth. And no, they're not 800-calorie shakes - check out five fast-food frozen treats that are under 300 calories after the break!

Fergie's Diet Weakness Is Fast Food - What's Yours?

Michele Foley — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:31:44 PDT

Fergie makes her third appearance on the cover of Allure, this time for its July 2011 issue. Inside she puts to rest all those pregnancy rumors and says:

"I think people think that I’m pregnant sometimes because my weight fluctuates . . . My problem is my discipline. I see a Jack in the Box or a Del Taco, and I will impulsively want it. I’m a work in progress in that area."

For anyone that strives to eat whole, healthy foods, Fergie's weakness for fast food is probably understandable. I'm not much of a fast food junkie, but cocktails and cake are definitely my weakness - especially when served together!

We already know what your healthy dessert alternatives are, but what are the not-so-healthy foods that make you go weak in the knees?

Chorizo Could Be Next For Chipotle

Susannah Chen — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:55:05 PDT

The folks at Chipotle may be busy working on a Southeast Asian concept, but this hasn't stopped them from making new developments in their Mexican kitchen. The latest addition they've taken for a test drive? Chicken chorizo sausage.

The chicken chorizo, which the company describes as being made with "naturally raised pork and chicken sausage with herbs and spices," is currently available at most New York locations, and will roll out to select stores in Denver in about a week. Should the option become available nationwide, it would be the first new protein rolled out in years.

Chorizo always has been a popular Mexican breakfast item, so it'll be interesting to see how well it fares at a lunchtime favorite like Chipotle. Does chorizo sound like it has enough promise to go nationwide?

Source: Flickr User iantmcfarland

Taste Test: McDonald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Susannah Chen — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:33:21 PDT

Who's ready for summertime? McDonald's is. Just ahead of Memorial Day, it's added a new Frozen Strawberry Lemonade to its McCafé lineup. "It's a little bit of brrrrrrrrrr mixed with a whole lot of mmmmm," the fast food chain called out. Of course, on the warmest of Spring days, we couldn't resist giving this new product a whirl.

Here's how the frosty beverage comes together: McDonald's starts with a lemonade base (made with, among other things, lemon juice, orange juice, and lemon oil), then pulverizes it to order with ice and strawberry syrup (consisting of ingredients such as strawberry purée and artificial flavor and color).

At $1.59 plus tax and 210 calories for a 16-ounce cup, it doesn't do too much damage to your calorie bank - or your real one. But what about your taste buds? Find out right this way.