Arby’s has expanded its dessert lineup, currently comprised of milkshakes, turnovers and cookies, with a warm chocolate cake, available as a limited-time offer. The Chocolate Molten Lava Cake has a liquid chocolate filling and is topped with cocoa crumbles. It is available at a recommended price of $1.99 through April at participating restaurants in the chain’s system of more than 3,400 U.S. locations.
Bruegger’s Bagels has added a whole-wheat bagel topped with five grains and a new cream cheese to its menu for a limited time.
The Five Grain Everything bagel is made with whole-wheat dough and topped with sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, rye and wheat flakes. The new cream cheese is flavored with Vermont maple syrup. Both are available at the chain’s more than 300 locations through May 7. Prices vary by location.
The Burlington, Vt.-based chain also brought back a classic sandwich of egg, bacon and cheese on a sesame bagel for an average price of $3.99, as part of its 30th anniversary celebration.
Auntie Anne’s has added its first whole-grain pretzel to its 1,325-unit system. The Honey Whole Grain Pretzel is a permanent addition to the Lancaster, Pa.-based chain’s menu, its first new permanent item since 2010.
The pretzel contains six grams of fiber and is labeled with the Whole Grains Council stamp of approval for containing 47 grams or more of whole grains per serving. Its average price is $2.79
Breakfast and lunch family-dining chain First Watch has added two health-focused items to its menu from Jan. 21 through March 3.
The Quinoa Power Bowl features the high-protein grain with kale, shredded carrots and roasted tomatoes, and topped with grilled lemon chicken, basil pesto sauce, feta crumbles and fresh herbs for $8.29
The Broccoli and Turkey Frittata contains roasted broccoli, turkey, and Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and is served with dressed greens and multigrain toast for $7.99.
The wintertime specials follow the 102-unit chain’s first attempt at seasonal specials in the fall, chief marketing officer Chris Tomasso said. Going forward, First Watch will add limited-time offerings each season, Tomasso added.
“With the New Year upon us, we wanted to offer guests delicious, healthy options for breakfast, brunch and lunch that will help jump start their resolutions. The items feature superfoods, rich in nutrients and boasting various health benefits,” he said.
Tropical Smoothie Café said it is capitalizing on the current taco trend by adding two of them to its menu as a limited-time offer through March 31.
Tropical Tacos, made with toasted flour tortillas and a chile-lime cilantro spread, are available with either grilled tilapia or grilled chicken. Both contain romaine lettuce and are topped with a signature Caribbean salsa made of mango, pineapple, jícama, red peppers, jalapeño and cilantro. Both are available for $4.99 for two tacos.
Additionally, the 337-unit chain, based in Atlanta, has introduced a new smoothie flavor, available through March. The Passion Fruit Smoothie is made with passion fruit, mango, pineapple and banana. Customers have an option of knocking 200 calories off of the 450-calorie, 24-ounce drink by having it made with sucralose. The smoothie’s recommended price is $4.99.
Yogurtland, a 205-unit chain based in Irvine, Calif., introduced its first Greek yogurt, as well as its second non-dairy sorbet, and a no-sugar-added hazelnut latte yogurt, at the beginning of the year. The items are available until the end of February.
The new raspberry banana Greek yogurt contains raspberries from the Pacific Northwest and bananas from Ecuador.
The chain’s new guava grapefruit sorbet contains a full day’s supply of vitamin C in an eight-ounce serving.
Hazelnut butter from Oregon is featured in the Hazelnut Latte Yogurt, along with coffee flavor.
All of the new items are between 35 cents and 49 cents per ounce, depending on the location.
TCBY is rolling out cookie-, brownie- and cake-flavored soft-serve yogurts in the first quarter of 2013.
Nonfat Frosted Sugar Cookie soft-serve frozen yogurt will be offered in participating units in the more than 400-unit chain in January. Nonfat Double Fudge Brownie will be rolled out in February, and 97-percent fat-free Wedding Cake will be introduced in March.
The first two flavors fit the Broomfield, Colo.-based chain’s standards to be classified as “Super Fro-Yo,” meaning they contain at least three grams of fiber, four grams of protein, seven types of live and active probiotic bacteria cultures, and at least 20 percent each of the recommended daily requirements for vitamin D and calcium.
The frozen snacks are available at prices ranging from $2.99 to $5.49 based on size and location. For self-serve locations, they are priced between 39 cents and 49 cents per ounce.
Pinkberry is rolling out half a dozen new flavors in 2013 and bringing back six old favorites, providing customers with a new flavor each month.
The first new flavor, which the 220-unit chain introduced nationwide last week, is grapefruit. To go with the new flavor, it also added hand-cut grapefruit pieces, caramelized almonds and a grapefruit basil puree as toppings, at a suggested retail price of $4.95 for a small serving. The flavor will be available through mid March.
Baskin-Robbins also added to its frozen yogurt offerings. Its flavor of the month for January, Berry Passionate Frozen Yogurt, is part of its BRight Choices line of lower-calorie items. The item blends passion-fruit-flavored yogurt with a raspberry ribbon. It is available at participating restaurants nationwide in January at a suggested retail price of $2.29 for a 2.5-ounce scoop, and $2.49 for a four-ounce scoop.
Contact Bret Thorn at bret.thorn@penton.com.
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