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Trading places: Eggos head to restaurants while food truck favorites head to homes

June 16, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

As if the restaurant industry isn't competitive enough, now the makers of some of the nation's biggest home freezer favorites are moving in to get some of Americans' eating-out dollars. Specifically, we refer most recently to those beloved microwave and toaster tantalizers — the Eggo waffle and the Hot Pocket. The two brands are certainly among the country's most beloved food fads. But apparently that popularity wasn't enough because now they have each set their eyes on claiming a piece of the food service pie. 

Eggo's' creator, Kellogg, is now sending its bulk-packaged toaster waffles and pancakes into restaurant kitchens across the country, while food truck chefs have teamed up with Hot Pockets-maker Nestle to send versions of their fare into freezers across America. The moves by these two major food companies reflect the growing affinity for mobile food retailing and eating breakfast away from home. 

Kellogg Company representatives said they've packaged their Eggo products in bulk to meet back-of-house operational needs for the brand. Kellogg sees the move as a means for chefs to exercise their creativity in record time. 

"Eggo waffles and pancakes work as a canvas for culinary creativity," according to a news release about the new restaurant offerings. "All-day applications, such as waffle sandwiches, and chicken and waffles have become more prevalent on menus, as evidenced by the fact that one out of five griddle items is consumed outside of the morning meal — up 8 percent since last year."

"Truckin' it" at home

Meanwhile, out on the streets of many American cities, lines form every day at numerous food trucks, which have, according to research, tripled in number in just the last four years. Naturally, those behind that all-American frozen food staple, the Hot Pocket, wanted a piece of that action. That's why the brand teamed up with a number of real food truck chefs to co-create Hot Pocket Food Truck Bites and sandwiches to bring this increasingly loved fare right to home freezers.

Four award-winning food truck proprietors in Los Angeles and Chicago, including Komodo, The Lobos Truck, Baby's Burgers and Toasty Cheese Mobile Eatery, paired with Nestle to create a whole line of mobile eating-inspired favorites like: 

•    Triple Cheesy Bacon Melt Bites, created with Toasty Cheese Mobile Eatery.
•    Smokin' Bacon BBQ Recipe Burger Bites, created with Baby's Burgers. 
•    Fiery Jalapeño Lime Chicken Rollers and sandwiches, created with The Lobos Truck.
•    Spicy Asian-Style Beef Rollers and sandwiches, created with Komodo Truck.

"Consumers today are looking for more flavor from food and trying different types of cuisine — and they're often inspired by international options," said Nestle President of Pizza and Snacking John Carmichael. "Based on the explosion of these trends and the popularity of mobile eating, we wanted to give consumers a delicious and creative new product that brings food truck cuisine to life in their own kitchens."

About S.A. Whitehead

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Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.