Article
QSRs ready for Valentine's Day rush
Heart-shaped doughnuts, biscuits on the menu.
February 10, 2012 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com
According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly 25 percent of Americans will celebrate Valentine's Day dining out, while another 15 percent will order take-out or delivery.
Plenty of quick-service brands have prepped for the occasion, featuring special, limited-time options that would make even Cupid proud.
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins has introduced two new flavors to its popular line of Ice Cream Cake Bites, available through the end of February. They include Love Potion #31 and Chocolate Dipped Strawberry.
Baskin-Robbins' Ice Cream Cake Bites feature ice cream with a ganache-style covering and are finished with a drizzle of chocolate, caramel, raspberry or strawberry. Love Potion #31 includes ice cream on chocolate cake, covered in a chocolate-flavored coating and finished with a raspberry-flavored chocolate drizzle. The Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Ice Cream Cake Bite is made with Very Berry Strawberry ice cream over chocolate cake, covered in a chocolate-flavored coating and finished with a strawberry glaze drizzle and mini chocolate hearts.
The two new flavors will be featured in Baskin-Robbins' Valentine's Day "Box of Chocolates," a mix-n-match four-pack retail box combined with two classic Ice Cream Cake Bite flavors: Chocolate Mint and Double Chocolate.
"We are excited to offer more indulgent flavors as part of our line of Ice Cream Cake Bites just in time to celebrate Valentine's Day," said Stan Frankenthaler, Baskin-Robbins executive chef and VP of Innovation at Dunkin' Brands. "Our Valentine's Day Ice Cream Cake Bites 'Box of Chocolates' provides our guests an elegant dessert option that is the perfect gift for that special someone or to share with a group."
Dunkin' Donuts
Baskin-Robbins' sister brand, Dunkin' Donuts, has also rolled out its special Valentine's treats for the second year in a row. The Cupid's Choice Donut is heart-shaped and filled with Bavarian Kreme, topped with strawberry icing and a mix of pink, white and red heart-shaped sprinkles.
The new Chocolate Heart Donut is a chocolate frosted heart-shaped donut with vanilla buttercreme filling, topped with chocolate chips. Both are available at participating restaurants through the end of February.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Krispy Kreme's iced, drizzled and sprinkled heart-shaped treats are also back for a limited time. They include the Drizzled Heart, a chocolate iced doughnut with red icing; Heart with Sprinkles, topped with white icing and red and white sprinkles; and the Chocolate Iced Glazed with Sprinkles, a classic chocolate iced doughnut covered with red and white sprinkles.
"Krispy Kreme has become a go-to Valentine's Day destination," said Krispy Kreme Corporate Chef Ron Rupocinski. "These fun-looking and great-tasting doughnuts are perfect for Valentine's gift giving and gatherings."
Guests can also send a Krispy Kreme Valentine e-card at krispykreme.com/card. And, those who purchase a dozen doughnuts will receive 12 free Valentine's cards, each good for one free doughnut of choice.
Tim Hortons/Cold Stone Creamery
Any couple married for at least 25 years and visiting a participating co-branded Tim Hortons/Cold Stone Creamery on Valentine's Day will receive two free Cold Stone creations with up to two mix-ins, as well as two free medium coffees.
Tim Hortons entered the U.S. market 25 years ago, and it was this anniversary that provided the inspiration for the "Dessert is on us" promotion. Couples who want to take advantage of the event need to present a copy of a photo from when they first met.
Cold Stone Creamery
Meanwhile, standalone Cold Stone Creameries are promoting a special Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake for February. The item includes layers of red velvet cake, strawberry ice cream and chocolate shavings wrapped in fudge ganache. As an added bonus, the cakes are heart-shaped.
White Castle
Yes, the Slider can be romantic, and White Castle's Valentine's Day dinner is back for the 21st year to prove it. Couples can enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner on Feb. 14, complete with special menus, tableside service and themed decorations at most White Castle restaurants. Menu specials and hours vary by location and reservations fill up quickly.
"Since the beginning of our sit-down Valentine's Day dinner, the event has grown into a systemwide, nationally known event," said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate relations. "It's the commitment and loyalty from our Cravers that has turned the White Castle Valentine's Day dinner into the success it is today."
Also, during this year's event, White Castle is launching its new dessert: fudge-dipped cheesecake on a stick. For those who dine-in for Valentine's Day dinner, dessert is free.
Dairy Queen
To mark February, Dairy Queen's Blizzard of the Month is the Choco Cherry Love, blending chocolate chunks and cherry topping with soft-serve ice cream.
DQ also has custom heart-shaped cakes made with a layer of chocolate soft serve topped with crunchy chocolate cookie pieces, layered with vanilla soft serve and decorated with creamy icing. The featured cake in February is the Choco Cherry Love Blizzard cake.
"Our Choco Cherry Love Blizzard is particularly popular because chocolate and cherries are such cravable flavors, especially on Valentine's Day," said Michael Keller, chief brand officer for International Dairy Queen Inc.
Great American Cookies
Great American Cookies has introduced four new "romantic" Cookie Cake designs, including its first pan-sized Valentine's Day Cookie Cake. The new offerings can be ordered in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the heart-shaped cake is presented in a windowed gift box.
Great American Cookies also celebrated Valentine's Day by hosting its first-ever search for the Great American Love Story, in which participants were asked to share, in 200 words or less, their special love story online.
Marble Slab/Maggie Moo's
The recently combined Marble Slab Creamery and Maggie Moo's is promoting chocolate and strawberry for the Valentine's occasion. Chocolate-dipped strawberry options are available as a shake, sundae or cake for a limited time.
Also, waffle bowl sundaes were recently launched, including a Red Velvet Wonderful Sundae, with Red Velvet ice cream, fudge topping, brownies, whipped cream and a cherry served in a chocolate waffle bowl and covered with Heath Bar pieces.
Chick-fil-A
Participating Chick-fil-A restaurants are serving heart-shaped chicken biscuits on Feb. 14
Bojangles'
Bojangles' is offering Heart-Shaped Bo-Berry Biscuits in all company-owned and participating franchise-owned locations from Feb. 10, through Valentine's Day on Feb. 14.
"Bojangles' is always looking for fun ways to celebrate the holidays," said Randy Poindexter, Bojangles' senior vice president of Marketing. "Our mouth-watering Bo-Berry Biscuits have been a customer favorite since we first began offering them more than 20 years ago, and it is fitting for us to celebrate Valentine's Day with one of our most beloved specialties."
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