McDonald’s has become known for its broken ice cream machines; there is even an independent website that tracks broken McFlurry machines. So Wendy’s is taking advantage.

Wendy’s is offering small-sized, $1 Frosty frozen dairy treats until September 30 — and it’s cooperating with McBroken, which tracks which McDonald’s stores have broken ice cream equipment.

The temporary price decrease may also draw value-seeking customers who are eating out less frequently and spending less when they do, slowing fast food sales and reducing restaurant visitation.

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

Wendy’s Frosty “has been the go-to sweet treat fix when fans’ cravings strike, while the ice cream machines at the other guys are offline — often for two to three hours at a time,” the chain claimed in a release, without mentioning McDonald’s directly.

McBroken’s data shows that about 15% of McDonald’s ice cream machines are broken as of Thursday. The most common time they are inaccessible is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles among the most affected cities.

Wendy’s put the locations of its restaurants, as represented by its logo, to the McBroken map to show fans where to get a “reliable and delicious option.” There is also an ad at the top of the website promoting the $1 Frosty Special.

Rashiq Zahid founded McBroken a few years ago, after becoming dissatisfied with McDonald’s lack of operating ice cream machines. He previously told CNN that it works by combining data from the McDonald’s iOS and Android apps.

If the ice cream machine is not operational, the McDonald’s app will remove the ice cream order from the cart, he explained. When this occurs, a red dot shows on the mcbroken.com map, signifying unavailability in that area.

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

In response, McDonald’s previously told CNN, “it is exciting to see customer passion translate into customer-innovated solutions to further make that experience a reality.”

The cold dessert rivalry between Wendy’s and McDonald’s has heated up in recent years. Wendy’s has started adding limited-time flavors, like as pumpkin spice and peppermint, to increase the appeal of the Frosty. McDonald’s frequently pushes new flavours for its McFlurry, but recently added a smaller variant as customers continue to look for bargain.

SOURCE | AP

General Mills Canada Co. has recalled Kirkland Signature brand Greek yogurt that was sold in Costco stores across Canada, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), because of possible mould contamination.

A form of yeast that may cause disease in individuals with weakened immune systems has caused the producer, Danone Canada, to announce the second recall of yogurt from the retailer Costco in as many months.

The recall concerns Costco’s Kirkland Signature Probiotic Yogurt, which is sold in 24-packs of 100-gram portions and was purchased at its Canadian warehouses between September 3 and September 19, according to a warning published on the retailer’s website on September 23 by Danone Canada.

According to the CBC. the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, Costco retail shops carried the recalled Greek yogurts.

Danone stated that since yeast is not known to flourish in cold temperatures, there was no risk to food safety. The maker of the yogurt advised consumers to return it to a Costco warehouse for a complete refund and to refrain from eating the product.

Trending News:

Canada’s Liberals to Launch Pandemic Preparedness Agency

Canada’s Liberals to Launch Pandemic Preparedness Agency

 

Coca-Cola is discontinuing production of its new Spiced flavor barely six months after it hit the stores, capping a dismal attempt to attract younger drinkers.

Coca-Cola stated in a statement that it is “always looking at what our customers like and adjusting” its flavors. “As part of this strategy, we’re planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavour in 2025,” according to a spokesman.

Coca-Cola Is Pulling Its Newest ‘Permanent’ Flavor From Store Shelves

Spiced’s brief existence is unexpected given that the firm touted it as a permanent flavor. Coca-Cola did not specify a particular explanation for discontinuing Spiced, although a lack of knowledge of the new offering and uncertainty about the flavour (it wasn’t spicy) most likely contributed to low sales.

Coca-Cola launched Spiced in February with a splashy advertising campaign. The beverage combined typical Coke flavor with raspberry undertones.

Spiced was designed to appeal to Gen-Z drinkers who like punchier flavours, while soda giants have outsourced some flavor innovation to upstarts such as Olipop and Poppi.

Coca-Cola has been changing its menu with limited-time items, such as a new Oreo beverage, regularly for several years. It has also created other ambiguously flavoured limited-time Cokes, such as “Dreamworld,” “Starlight,” and “Byte” Coca-Cola. It also collaborated with DJ Marshmello on a flavour that did not taste of marshmallow.

These beverages were part of the company’s experimental Creations brand, which was designed to appeal to younger drinkers. Beverage Digest editor Duane Sanford told CNN that Spiced “might have been lost in the shuffle” of those limited-time releases.

However, Coca-Cola intended Spiced to become a permanent addition to its lineup because its research found a “increase in consumer willingness to try a spiced beverage” and raspberry was selected more than 5 million times on its Freestyle drink machines in 2022, which the company “often uses for inspiration” for new flavours, according to Sue Lynne Cha, the company’s vice president of marketing for North America.

“Consumers are looking for more bold flavours and more complex flavour profiles,” Cha previously told CNN. “That’s a trend we started to see in food but also in beverage, and we thought that was a unique space for us to play in.”

Coca-Cola does not break out sales of specific Coke flavours, and the drink was not addressed on Coke’s most recent earnings call. Coke’s second-quarter net revenue increased 2.9%, but volumes in North American sales, where Spiced was marketed, fell 1%.

Coca-Cola Is Pulling Its Newest ‘Permanent’ Flavor From Store Shelves

Spiced isn’t the only flavour that got cut: On social media, the corporation announced the discontinuation of Cherry Vanilla, which debuted in 2020, and Diet Coke with Splenda. It’s part of a larger culling of its beverage portfolio that began four years ago and meant the demise of 200 products, including Tab, AHA Sparkling Water, and Odwalla.

Sugary sodas are losing popularity as people prefer sparkling waters and hydration drinks. In response, the corporation is extending its Topo Chico water line and the BodyArmor brand.

SOURCE | CNN