Special Report
New Menu Items to Look for at Chain Restaurants this January
Published:
One common New Year’s resolution is to eat better. This often means choosing more healthy options — a salad instead of a cheeseburger, maybe, or a nice piece of grilled fish rather than a pepperoni pizza.
With occasional exceptions, chain restaurants probably aren’t the first places people should head to when trying to keep their dietary promises to themselves. There are too many temptations, too many calorie-rich elaborations of already extravagant foods. And while you might think that chains would capitalize on eat-better resolutions by offering a few low-cal options, at least for the first month or so of the year, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
To compile a list of new items appearing on chain menus this month, 24/7 Tempo continued its regular reviews of Menu Tracker, a column published weekly by Nation’s Restaurant News, a leading national restaurant trade publication. Reported by Bret Thorn, NRN’s senior food and beverage editor, the column showcases new additions to menus at a wide range of restaurant chains around the U.S. (many of them among the most successful restaurant chains in America).
Click here to see what you’ll find on chain restaurant menus this January
While a couple of plant-based meat possibilities appear on the list (including Beyond Fried Chicken at KFC — what would The Colonel say?), most of the other items won’t do January dieters any favors. Spicy Cheesy Bacon Half-Pounder? Prime rib tips omelet? Gingerbread milkshake? Well, why not? It’ll be February and back to normal before you know it. (Speaking of half-pounders, these are the best burgers you can get at a fast food restaurant.)
Chipotle
> Menu item: Plant-based chorizo
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $9.95-$12.65, depending on how it’s served
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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
> Menu item: Chorizo breakfast burrito
> When available: Through Mar. 8
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $6.50
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Cold Stone Creamery
> Menu item: Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): Varies by size and location
El Pollo Loco
> Menu item: Cheesy Quesadilla Salad
> When available: Through Mar. 16
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $7.49
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Frisch’s Big Boy
> Menu item: Spicy Cheesy Bacon Half-Pounder
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $7.99
Halal Guys
> Menu item: Signature spicy chicken
> When available: Through Jan. while supplies last
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $9.44
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Huddle House
> Menu item: Prime rib tips omelet
> When available: Through Feb. 1
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $9.39-$10.39
Jack in the Box
> Menu item: Spicy Cluck Sandwich
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $5.99
Jamba
> Menu item: Go Getter Smoothie (fruit and vegetable juice with matcha green tea)
> When available: Through Apr. 11
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $6.29
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KFC
> Menu item: Beyond Fried Chicken
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $6.99
Papa Johns
> Menu item: New York-style pizza
> When available: Through Mar. 13
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $13
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Peet’s Coffee
> Menu item: Churro latte
> When available: Through Mar. 8
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $5.15-$5.40 (medium)
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews
> Menu item: Gingerbread milkshake
> When available: Through Jan. 23
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $5.49
Sonic Drive-In
> Menu item: Patty melt
> When available: Through Feb. 27
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $3.99
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Starbucks
> Menu item: Pistachio latte
> When available: Through winter
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $5.25-$5.45 (grande)
Taco Bell
> Menu item: Chipotle cheddar chalupa
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $3.59-$4.19, depending on filling
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Whataburger
> Menu item: Buffalo ranch chicken strip sandwich
> When available: Unspecified limited time
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): Varies by location
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White Castle
> Menu item: Sloppy Joe slider
> When available: Through Feb. 19 or while supplies last
> Where available: All locations
> Price (may vary): $0.99
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