Odd mashups of flavors have been a surefire approach for meals firms to show heads for fairly some time, however the newest providing from frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles would possibly trigger whiplash.
The froyo chain has launched a limited-time providing that’s designed to copy the style of . . . french fries . . . at its greater than 30 places nationwide. The flavour will likely be accessible by mid-July, the corporate says.
This vibrant yellow frozen yogurt contains salt and actual items of french fries blended in with the dairy product to present it a candy and salty style. The curious mixture was born from some individuals’s love of dipping french fries into their ice cream at sure fast-food giants—and a contact of snark about how typically the ice cream machines break down at certain fast-food giants (looking at you, McDonald’s). It’s one thing that even captured the attention of the Federal Commerce Fee and Division of Justice earlier this yr since presently, solely the machine’s producer can repair them.
“We’re all about making individuals smile at 16 Handles,” mentioned Neil Hershman, CEO of 16 Handles, in an announcement. “Since we’re consultants on the subject of ice cream machines, we had some additional laughs with the advertising on this launch. . . . French fries and frozen yogurt go surprisingly nicely, and the flavour actually has that ‘wow’ issue.”
16 Handles, which opened its first retailer in New York Metropolis in 2008, has a historical past of barely out-there yogurt flavors, with current launches together with Butter Beer, Dune Spice, and Keto Chocolate Brownie.
It’s hardly alone. Shock flavors have been popping up with growing regularity in eating places, grocery shops, even legacy meals manufacturers these days. Sweet model Peeps raised eyebrows final yr with Pepsi-flavored variations of its brightly-colored chicks. Oskar Blues, just a few years in the past, partnered with French’s Mustard to launch a yellow mustard beer, which offered out in 22 minutes. (It tasted precisely as you’d suppose: gross.)
Hidden Valley Ranch has been notably efficient with its mashups, working with Burt’s Bees in January to launch a 4 pack of lip balms that tasted like buffalo sauce, celery, carrots, and ranch dressing. The lip balms offered out in lower than a day.
Final yr, Hidden Valley additionally partnered with artisanal ice cream maker Van Leeuwen to make a ranch-flavored ice cream that was offered at Walmart. (Van Leeuwen, by the way, might be the king of bizarre flavors. Amongst its previous ice cream-flavor choices are lemon poppy seed muffin, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and pizza.)
Different odd taste combos of late embody Oreo Bitter Patch Children cookies and Rooty Tooty Recent ‘N Fruity snack chips from IHOP and Lay’s, which dropped at thoughts the style of strawberry-topped pancakes with a touch of bacon.
Are these taste mixtures stunts? In fact they’re. However they’re additionally a approach for firms to remain related with shoppers—and muscle their approach into additional shelf area in shops, particularly when these bizarre mixtures go viral on TikTok, as they so typically do.
They increase gross sales, too. Russell Zwanka, director of the meals advertising program at Western Michigan College, told the Associated Press earlier this year that when shoppers purchase these merchandise, additionally they typically purchase a non-weird-flavor mixture—simply in case the factor that received them within the door is as off-putting because it sounds, they’ve received a comfort-food parachute standing by.