The Daily Dish: Toblerone Changes Its Iconic Triangular Shape, Angers Chocolate Fans
Toblerone Changes Its Iconic Triangular Shape, Angers Chocolate Fans
Toblerone, the Swiss chocolate bar that has a voracious following, angered its fans this week with the announcement that it would be taking a brand-new form. The Toblerone bar has long been made in the shape of a row of triangles — mimicking the outline of the Swiss Alps — but now the bar will be reconfigured to have wider "valleys" and shorter, less Alpine "peaks," which makes for a smaller chocolate bar overall. The 170-gram (6-ounce) and 400-gram (14-ounce) milk chocolate bars have been downsized in the U.K. only, to reduce costs, according to parent company Mondolez International. But that hasn't stopped angry Toblerone fans everywhere from expressing their outrage, especially since the prices have not been altered to reflect the smaller size. "We need to make sure it remains on shelves and it's still affordable," Gemma Pryor, a Mondolez spokeswoman, told The New York Times.
McDonald's to Debut New Big Mac Sizes Next Year
The Big Mac just got a little better with the announcement that two new sizes will be released early next year. McDonald's will offer a Mac Jr. and a Grand Mac nationwide, but only for a limited time. The Mac Jr. will be a single-layer Big Mac made to be easier to eat on the go, and the Grand Mac will have two all-beef patties and weigh one-third of a pound, National Restaurant News reported. Although their national debut is set for 2017, the new Big Macs will be available later this month at select locations in Florida and Pittsburgh.
'Food for All' App Lets You Buy Cheap Restaurant Leftovers
The new Food for All app, currently in prototype, allows users to purchase leftovers from local restaurants. Food for All is a startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that began as graduation project while David Rodriguez, the CEO and founder, was pursuing his master's in business administration at Hult International Business School, BostInno reported. Users can expect to pay between 50 and 80 percent of normal restaurant food prices, and though there is no set menu, restaurants will give users a general idea of the food to expect. The company's mission is to not only provide users the opportunity to eat restaurant food for a fraction of the price, but also to build social awareness about food waste in the industry.
Instant Cookies Are Here and We're Excited
Calling all cookie monsters: The CHiP Smart Cookie Oven is a smart pod oven that can transform raw dough into delicious cookies in multiple flavors in fewer than 10 minutes. You simply insert the dough (in flavors like sea salt chocolate chip or chickpea carob), then scan the device with your smartphone. The CHiP app will already know your cookie preferences (chewy and soft or crispy). Currently, the project has raised more than $25,000 on Kickstarter and is due to be released to the general public for $249 by the holidays — or as little as $99 if you pledge a certain amount on Kickstarter. The only downside is that, according to the Kickstarter, you can only make four cookies at once as the device is fairly small.
Whole Foods to Launch Rewards Program in 2017
Whole Foods is fighting back against budget grocery chains by launching a nationwide customer rewards program next year. "It's a very competitive market out there," John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods, told CNBC. "Everybody's feeling it." Competition from lower-cost grocery stores such as Sprouts Farmers Market has challenged the company's earnings and sales growth. Fresh food delivery services from Amazon and meal kit companies also pose a threat to the grocer. A rewards program will allow the company to give back to customers and stay in line with competitors. Members of the rewards program will receive deals such as 10 percent off their first purchase and product giveaways, Grub Street reported. Frequent shoppers will receive more rewards.