KANSAS CITY — Eateries are elevating conventional fast food fare to the next level by swapping out customary components for gourmet ingredients.
Newk’s Eatery is pushing bacon to the backburner to feature a more premium pig product with its new Pork Belly Sandwich. The handheld features pork belly brined and marinated with ginger wasabi dressing overnight before being flame-seared and roasted. Served on Newk’s signature bread, the meat is topped with mayonnaise, pickled carrots, cilantro and jalapeños.
“With premium proteins like pork belly on the menu, we’re looking to push the envelope of fast-casual,” said Alan Wright, chief marketing officer at Newk’s Eatery. “Our winter lineup branches out from traditional holiday comfort foods, giving people a chance to enjoy what’s become known as bacon’s tastier, superior cousin with our new Pork Belly Sandwich.”
Forgetting french fries in favor of a fresher alternative, Logan’s Roadhouse is adding Zucchini Fries to its menu. The fries are battered and fried zucchini strips served with ranch dressing.
Arby’s is amping up the standard steak sandwich by allying with A.1. The chain’s new A.1. Special Reserve Steak Sandwich, served on a toasted star-cut specialty roll, offers sliced Black Angus steak, melted cheddar cheese, a crispy thick-cut steakhouse onion ring and A.1. Special Reserve sauce.
“We set out to create a steakhouse-worthy sandwich that’s available from the convenience of a drive-thru,” said Rob Lynch, chief marketing officer and brand president of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. “Our guests tell us they love our Angus Steak, and we’ve succeeded in taking it to a whole new level with A.1. Special Reserve sauce made exclusively for Arby’s.”
