Innovation or abomination?* It all depends on whether you think your life has been missing deep fried macaroni and cheese.
Burger King and snack brand Kraft Dinner have come together to create what they describe as a “lockdown comfort snack” called KD Bites, a bite-size version of KD’s macaroni and cheese within a breaded and fried coating.
It might seem like one of those oddball food creations that pops up every year at the Canadian National Exhibition and other summer carnivals and fairs, but KD Bites are being sold as six packs available at select Burger King locations. They’re also available through the major food delivery services.
Daniel Gotlib, associate director of brand-building and innovation at Kraft Heinz Canada, describes the resulting concoction as a “one-of-a-kind cheesy taste in an ultimate snacking, bite-size format.”
It’s become relatively common for restaurant chains to take their menu items to grocery shelves. Just about every major coffee chain now has a grocery presence, for example, while Tim Hortons also introduced three of its soups and chilis into supermarkets last year.
McDonald’s launched limited edition bottles of its Big Mac, McChicken and Filet O’Fish sauce in 2017, while Canadian steakhouse chain The Keg sells a line of salad dressings and sauces.
It’s still rare to see CPG products make their way onto QSR menus, although Taco Bell and Doritos have a longstanding association around Doritos Locos Tacos (a taco featuring a Doritos shell).
Both KD parent Kraft Heinz and Burger King are part of the Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital Partners, which may have facilitated a fun bit of cross-promotion for KD Bites that saw the two brands temporarily swap logos on their social channels. Both brands are also promoting the new menu item on Twitter.
“With the introduction of KD Bites, we are taking an iconic Canadian dish and adding an innovative twist on it that we know our guests will love” said Nicholas Hansen, manager, marketing execution Canada, for Burger King.
That’s fine, but we’re drawing the line at a Philly Whopper.
*Chris Powell says abomination. David Brown says innovation.
