With the holiday season in full swing, quick-serve restaurants are once again thinking outside the menu to draw crowds and cater to gift-seeking guests ahead of Christmas.
This year, some of the industry’s top brands — including McDonald’s, White Castle and Pizza Hut — turned to apparel to make a splash with their festive seasonal offerings.
The Grinch teams up with McDonald’s to steal Christmas
McDonald’s, a staple name in the QSR field with approximately 13,500 U.S. locations, announced a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises in mid-November, bringing on one of Christmas’s most avid antagonists for a perhaps unlikely holiday promotion.
McDonald’s rolled out “The Grinch Meal” Dec. 2. The holiday collaboration promotes a limited-time offering available at participating restaurants across the nation, debuting dill pickle “Grinch Salt” alongside fries, a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, and a medium drink.
McDonald’s rolled out “The Grinch Meal” Dec. 2 — a limited-time offering available at participating restaurants across the nation, debuting dill pickle “Grinch Salt” alongside fries, a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, and a medium drink.
According to a Nov. 20 release, The Grinch will sneak a spirited pair of socks into each eligible meal as supplies last. The socks come in four “unhinged colors,” and McDonald’s even recommends them as a possible stocking stuffer.
McDonald’s press release announcing the seasonal collaboration included a quote, reportedly from The Grinch himself, offering the infamous Christmas critic’s take on the holiday offering.
“THiS iS MY MEAL AND i DiDN’T PARTNER WiTH McDONALD’S OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF MY HEART,” said The Grinch in a handwritten note on crumpled paper from Mt. Crumpit. “i SAW AN OPPORTUNiTY TO BRiNG MiSCHiEF TO YOUR BELOVED “RESTAURANT” WiTH MY DELiCiOUS CHAOS FOR THE HOLiDAYS AND i TOOK iT. SO GO AHEAD, GRAB MY MEAL STARTING DEC. 2 – YOU’RE WELCOME FOR MAKiNG YOUR HOLiDAYS iNFiNiTELY MORE iNTERESTiNG.”
White Castle goes all in on White Elephant gifts
White Castle, an Ohio-based brand with about 340 restaurants and over a century of serving sliders, announced a smorgasbord of accessories, apparel and other collectibles as steal-worthy White Elephant gifts.
This year’s assortment of holiday offerings available through House of Crave, White Castle’s online store for such items, is suited to “delight, surprise or confuse your friends and family,” according to a Dec. 4 release.
This year’s assortment of holiday offerings available through House of Crave includes a collaboration between White Castle and Crocs. Other House of Crave holiday offerings include a Willis the Dragon plush, a White Castle Craver casserole dish and an annual holiday mug, among a slew of other possible White Elephant gifts.
White Castle’s list of potential Christmas gifts includes a collaboration with Colorado-based footwear company Crocs for a unique slip-on model — a different type of slider than customers typically associate with the well-known QSR chain.
Other House of Crave holiday offerings include Willis the Dragon — a nostalgic plushie nodding to White Castle’s 1980s kids’ meal icon —, a White Castle Craver casserole dish — which reportedly pairs perfectly with a slider-based stuffing recipe available through the brand’s website — and an annual holiday mug.
“White Elephant exchanges are where personality really shines,” Jamie Richardson, White Castle’s vice president, said in a statement. “The House of Crave has dozens of items designed to bring a smile, spark a laugh or make someone feel like the Craver they truly are. When it comes to holiday gifts, we have something for everyone.”
Pizza Hut pulls out PJs for holiday cravings
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands with nearly 20,000 restaurants, touts its Triple Treat Box as a fan favorite around the holidays. This year, the deal’s return is accompanied by a onesie for customers who love it so much they hope to wear it on their sleeves — and, technically, the rest of their bodies as well.
Pizza Hut partnered with apparel brand Tipsy Elves to offer a set of full-body pajamas. The pajamas are inspired by the Triple Treat Box packaging.
The Texas-based pizza giant partnered with apparel brand Tipsy Elves to offer a set of full-body pajamas inspired by the Triple Treat Box packaging, according to a Dec. 3 press release. The onesie is available to purchase online for $89.95 in men’s and women’s sizes
“Pizza Hut is all about feeding good times, and knowing our fans love to go extra hard for the holidays, the Triple Treat Box is designed to fuel those moments,” Melissa Friebe, Pizza Hut’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “Whether it’s covering every inch of your roof with lights or feeding good times as the host of your holiday parties, Pizza Hut is here to bring the festive flavor.
