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Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Global milk tea chain Gong Cha will add 17 stores in Australia

    Global milk tea chain Gong Cha will add 17 stores in Australia

    Global milk tea chain Gong cha is planning to expand in Australia with a further 17 stores this year.

    That’s adding to the 118 stores already operating.

    The plan for growth is part of a bigger international expansion goal, which sees the business focus on development in countries such as Japan, Mexico, New York, and the Philippines.

    Around the world Gong Cha had 1661 stores at the end of 2021, including 90 new outlets opened in Japan. The growth represents a 17 percent rise from the previous year.

    Also this year, another 25 stores planned to open under the guidance of the New York master franchise. South of the border in Mexico the plan is to almost double the number of stores to 51; while the Philippines store count is expected to grow by another 34 new milk tea venues.

    The Gong cha brand was founded in Taiwan in 1996 and is now owned by the Gong Cha Group, headquartered in London.

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  • Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is retiring, and Howard Schultz is returning as interim chief

    Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is retiring, and Howard Schultz is returning as interim chief

    Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is retiring after five years on the job. Howard Schultz will return as interim CEO, once again taking the helm of the coffee chain he elevated to a global brand while the company searches for a long-term successor. This will be his third tenure as Starbucks’ chief executive.

    Shares of the company rose 7% in morning trading on the news. Starbucks announced the leadership transition ahead of its annual shareholder meeting later Wednesday.

    “A year ago, I signaled to the Board that as the global pandemic neared an end, I would be considering retirement from Starbucks. I feel this is a natural bookend to my 13 years with the company,” Johnson said in a statement.

    Johnson, 61, joined the board in 2009 while working as CEO of Juniper Networks, and became a member of the leadership team in 2015 as president and COO. In 2017, he was named president and CEO, succeeding Schultz. Wednesday’s annual shareholder meeting marks his 14th with the company, he wrote in his final letter to employees.

    In addition to steering the company through the Covid pandemic, Johnson used his expertise as a former tech executive throughout his tenure to push Starbucks into the digital age, revamping its loyalty program and updating its store footprint to reflect the different ways consumers want to buy their coffee. He also accelerated the chain’s expansion in China, now its second-largest market.

    In his time as head of the company, shares of Starbucks rose more than 50%, including Wednesday’s gains. The stock underperformed compared with the S&P 500, which rose 83% in the same time.

    The chair of Starbucks’ board, Mellody Hobson, said on Wednesday that the company intends to select a permanent successor by the fall.

    “We’re not going to hire over Zoom, I can tell you that,” Hobson, co-CEO of Ariel Investments, said.

    She added the company already has a number of strong candidates in contention for the top job.

    Schultz, 68, said in a statement he previously had no plans to return to the company. He served as CEO from 1986 to 2000, and again from 2008 to 2017. He also weighed a potential run for president ahead of the 2020 elections.

    “When you love something, you have a deep sense of responsibility to help when called. Although I did not plan to return to Starbucks, I know the company must transform once again to meet a new and exciting future where all of our stakeholders mutually flourish,” Schultz said in a statement. “With the backdrop of COVID recovery and global unrest, its critical we set the table for a courageous reimagining and reinvention of the future Starbucks experience for our partners and customers.”

    Schultz’s salary as interim chief executive will be $1, the company said. Hobson said Starbucks wants to lean on “all of Howard’s expertise and all of his brilliance” throughout the transition, but denied he would stay on longer as the company’s next full-time chief executive.

    “We have a great slate of candidates. People want this job, and we’re fully confident we’ll have a new leader in the fall,” she said. “He’s not going to stay for three years…We get him until the fall, full stop. Trust me.”

    Some were caught by surprise that the board knew Johnson planned to retire a year before publicly discussing a transition or a successor.

    “Howard Schultz knows Starbucks. He knows the company’s strategy and goals. And Schultz is in a position to help in ways other interim CEOs could not. But, for a company the size and stature of Starbucks not to have a solid succession plan is surprising,” said Timothy Hubbard, an assistant management professor at University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

    Former Chief Operating Officer Roz Brewer, once thought to be the heir apparent, departed the company in early 2021 to become chief executive of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Starbucks’ CEO shift comes against a backdrop of growing efforts among the company’s baristas to unionize. To date, roughly 140 Starbucks stores in 26 states have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to unionize, according to organizers Starbucks Workers United. Six locations so far have voted in favor of a union.

    In a move that may have signaled his return to the company, Schultz appeared at Buffalo, New York-area cafes ahead of union elections, along with other top Starbucks executives, to attempt to dissuade baristas from voting in favor of unionizing.

    This week, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint over accusations Starbucks retaliated against two employees in Phoenix who were seeking to unionize their store location. On Tuesday, a group of 75 investors in Starbucks sent a letter to Hobson and Johnson urging the company to adopt a policy of neutrality for all current and future attempts by its workers to organize.

    Hobson said Wednesday that Starbucks “made some mistakes” when asked about the union push.

    “When you think about, again, why we’re leaning on Howard in this moment, it’s that connection with our people where we think he’s singularly capable of engaging with our people in a way that will make a difference,” she said.

    Johnson’s retirement announcement marks the fourth notable CEO transition from a publicly traded restaurant company in recent months.

    Domino’s Pizza CEO Ritch Allison will retire at the end of April, and Darden Restaurants’ Gene Lee will do the same the following month. Wingstop announced Monday that CEO Charlie Morrison stepped down to become chief executive of Salad and Go, a much smaller drive-thru salad chain.

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  • Tim Hortons to enter India, plans 250 stores

    Tim Hortons to enter India, plans 250 stores

    Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons is set to make its Indian debut, eyeing rolling out more than 250 stores during the next five years.

    The first Tim Hortons store is scheduled to open in New Delhi later this year, followed by Punjab and other parts of the country. The India launch marks the brand’s fourth country in the Asia-Pacific after Thailand, the Philippines and China. The brand was brought into the country under an exclusive partnership with AG Cafe, which is a joint venture owned by Apparel Group and Gateway Partners.

    “The launch will lead to major investments in market-leading talent and innovation, creating new jobs and providing a direct boost to the hospitality sector,” said Navin Gurnaney, CEO of Tim Hortons India, who was previously CEO at Starbucks India.

    As it enters India, the Canadian F&B chain will directly compete with Starbucks, which operates 224 stores in the country as of last August. Currently, Tim Hortons has more than 5100 restaurants across 13 countries, including the Middle East, China, the UK, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and the Philippines.

    “The F&B sector is seeing a revival after a long period of covid-induced lull,” said Nilesh Ved, chairman and CEO of Apparel Group. “We see this as the most opportune time to introduce a new brand and have an aggressive plan to cater to the demand.”

    The move comes after the company’s Chinese subsidiary Tims China announced its $100 million committed equity facility from CF Principal Investments, an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald earlier this week.

  • Yum China sales suffer as Omicron cases surge

    Yum China sales suffer as Omicron cases surge

    Yum China Holdings Inc said on Monday a COVID-19 resurgence in the country in recent weeks had dented sales in the first quarter, setting back the revival its KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell joints had last year.

    Same-store sales decreased around 20% from a year earlier for the first two weeks of March and was still trending down in recent days, after falling nearly 4% for the two months combined in January and February, Yum China said.

    “Entering March, the situation has rapidly deteriorated with the highly transmissible Omicron variant causing outbreaks across China, including economically important regions of Guangdong, Shanghai, Shandong and Jilin,” the company said.

    The restaurant chain recorded a 1% fall in same-store sales last year, an improvement from the 9% decline in 2020. However, tight curbs on travel and dining out due to the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant have hurt sales this year.

    The company projected an operating profit for the first quarter to be in a range of $165 million to $200 million, compared with $342 million a year earlier.

    China has reported more local symptomatic COVID-19 cases so far this year than it recorded in all of 2021, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant triggers outbreaks from Shanghai to Shenzhen.

    Over 1,100 Yum China restaurants were temporarily closed or offering only takeaway and delivery services, as of Sunday. It had more than 12,000 restaurants, as of February end.

    Yum China’s shares, which have taken a beating in recent days due to an auditing dispute between Beijing and Washington, fell as much as 10.5% to $33.55, a three-year low.

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  • HiLands Foods launches Fijian Lami Kava in Australia

    HiLands Foods launches Fijian Lami Kava in Australia

    LAMI KAVA AUSTRALIA is a collaboration between Lami Kava and HiLands Foods. It is a meaningful amalgamation of Lami Kava’s intricate knowledge about noble kava and HiLands Foods’ distribution expertise in the Australian market.

    Today, Lami Kava shares 40 years of experience in the kava industry. Lami Kava was established in 1982 in a little corner shop. It was initially set up as Lami Kava Pounding Shop with a view to facilitating kava pounding for their clients. Over progressive years, by the late 1980s, the company was renamed, Lami Kava. Thus far, over these years, Lami Kava has become a major Fijian brand.

    Lami Kava’s continuous commitment to quality assures consistent and clean products. Lami Kava uses state-of-art machinery and modern commercial food processing technology. They have precise and methodological quality control. Lami Kava engages with proper food safety measures with its certification by HACCP. Thus far, Lami Kava is FDA-registered too.

    HiLands Foods take a lead role to manage LAMI KAVA AUSTRALIA. So, HiLands Foods take full responsibility to promote, market, and protect the Lami Kava brand. Lami Kava will distribute Australia-wide through a network of distributors, wholesalers, and resellers.

    Thus far, HiLands Foods is a reputable, contemporary, and progressive Australian company. It is owned and operated by an Australian family. LAMI KAVA AUSTRALIA leadership team has a wealth of experience in the food, franchise, and distribution business. The leadership team focuses on branding, relationship marketing, and customer excellence. The team’s belief in honesty, credence, and ethics, sets them apart. These traits earn an excellent rapport with the stakeholders. Thus far, combining lateral thinking, the old-fashioned service, and credibility earns an encouraging reputation in the marketplace.

    Kava is a traditional drink throughout the Pacific. Pacific islanders have been enjoying it for centuries. Kava drinking has always been the cornerstone of Pacific tradition and culture. Thus far, it is still central to cultural rituals, especially to honour important guests. Kava is well known in the Pacific region for its calming effects. So far, the western world use kava as s stress reliever. It is now widely known as a kava herbal remedy for anxiety; however, it needs to be scientifically proven.

    Fiji is renowned for the best quality kava product. Lami Kava’s continuous commitment to quality, the company produces the best kava root powders for sale. Thus far, Lami Kava is known for its consistency and quality. It brings great value to your dollar. So, now you can enjoy premium quality Fiji kava for sale in Australia.

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  • Danone becomes Australasia’s largest B Corp-certified company

    Danone becomes Australasia’s largest B Corp-certified company

    Danone has become the largest B Corporation (B Corp) certified food and drink company in Australia and New Zealand, joining a growing list of over 400 businesses to achieve the certification in the region and over 4,700 globally. 

    B Corp is a growing global business movement committed to the highest levels of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

    The rigorous certification is independently administered by B Lab and awarded to companies that can demonstrate verifiable positive impact through policies and practices for employees, communities, customers, and the environment.

    The certification is part of Danone’s broader global commitment for all its business entities to become B Corp certified by 2025. Currently, more than 60 percent of the company’s global sales are covered.

    “We’re thrilled to have achieved B Corp certification across our wholly-owned businesses in Australia and New Zealand,” Danone head of Corporate Affairs Scott Pettet said. “The journey to certification isn’t an easy one and nor should it be. B Lab has rightly set the bar very high, which makes the achievement all the more rewarding for every Danone employee in Australia and New Zealand. We also know that increasingly, employees, customers, consumers, and broader society expect a much stronger stance from businesses and brands on important social and environmental issues.”

    B Lab, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in the US in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible but necessary — and that business could lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model. Some of the world’s best-known brands such as Patagonia, Inc., The Body Shop, and Ben & Jerry’s count themselves as part of the global B Corp movement.

    “I am so excited to see Danone Oceania joining over 4,700 Certified B Corporations worldwide — a truly diverse group of businesses unified by the idea of using business as a force for good,” B Lab Global co-founder and co-CEO Bart Houlahan said.

    “Globally, the Danone group has been a partner with us for many years, using its profile to add credibility and accelerate the growth of this movement. The success at Danone Oceania is part of this story and I look forward to continuing to work with Danone globally as we work to create an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.”

    In Australia and New Zealand, Danone sells a broad range of specialized nutrition products to support healthy growth and development during the first 1,000 days, as well as products that address some of the world’s biggest health challenges. This includes faltering growth, food allergy and rare metabolic diseases, age-related conditions and chronic disease, frailty, cancer, stroke, and early Alzheimer’s disease.

    “To have a business the size and complexity of Danone achieve B Corp Certification is a huge step for us in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. It builds on the work of 400 local B Corps, large and small, who have led the way,” B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand CEO Andrew Davies said.

    “Danone’s certification also shows it is possible for big business to have a positive impact, to hold themselves accountable, and to grow whilst focusing on the stakeholders it impacts in all aspects of its value chain.”

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  • Yum China calls time on Chinese brand

    Yum China calls time on Chinese brand

    Yum China Holdings, the owner of the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurant chains in China, has decided to shut down its struggling fast-food brand, East Dawning, after it failed to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The company said in its annual report that the remaining five outlets of the Chinese-style quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand would cease to operate within 2022.

    “The brand was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic,” the report said. “As a result, we have decided to wind down operations of the brand.”

    The annual report, filed to the Hong Kong stock exchange, did not provide financial data for East Dawning, which was established by Yum on the mainland in 2005. The chain kicked off with about 100 restaurants nationwide located mainly at airports and train stations. But the number has fallen drastically over the years amid stiff competition. By 2012, the chain had dwindled to 30 restaurants, and by 2020 only eight outlets of the brand remained.

    Disease outbreak dealt a fatal blow to the brand, but it has not been successful over the past decade due to stern challenges from a raft of local restaurant chains,” said Chen Xiao, CEO of Shanghai Yacheng Culture, a consultancy dealing with marketing and branding for foreign and local companies. “After all, the five outlets and the brand are of little value to Yum’s businesses in China.”

    East Dawning, in Chinese, literally means that the east is lit up by the light of dawn.

    Su Shi, a poet during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) wrote in his poem the Red Cliffs that a group of friends were so obsessed with a dinner party on a boat that they did not notice the east was lit up by the light of dawn.

    East Dawning was the first Chinese-style fast-food brand created by Yum to tap the market potential on the mainland. It combines KFC’s business model with Chinese cuisine. The menu includes steamed pastries such as buns, and Chinese tea.

    The fast-food brand has been eclipsed by the rise of Chinese restaurant chains such as Da Niang Dumpling and Yang’s Dumplings which are adept at cooking Chinese food to appeal to local tastes.

    China’s catering sector has taken a beating from the coronavirus outbreak over the past two years as lockdown measures and social distancing rules have kept customers at bay.

    In 2020, restaurants across the mainland reported total revenue of 3.95 trillion yuan (US$625 billion), down 15.4 percent on the year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

    In the first half of 2021, the catering industry raked in sales of 2.17 trillion yuan, up 48.6 per cent from a year ago, but virtually unchanged from the same period of 2019.

    Yum China, whose other brands include Little Sheep, Huang Ji Huang and Coffii & Joy, operates more than 11,700 outlets on the mainland.

    It reported net profit of US$525 million in 2021, down 15 per cent from the previous year. Revenue grew 19 per cent to US$9.85 billion.

    Its shares trading in Hong Kong were changing hands at HK$378 (US$48.37) on Monday afternoon, having slumped 8 per cent from their initial public offering price of HK$412 in September, 2020.

  • TWG holding V3 Group to launch Hong Kong IPO

    TWG holding V3 Group to launch Hong Kong IPO

    V3 Group, which owns brands such as Osim and TWG Tea, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the main board of Hong Kong’s stock exchange.

    V3 Brands Asia, an investment holding company wholly owned by V3 Group – made an application to the Hong Kong Exchange for a global offering on Monday (Feb 28).

    The application proof redacted pricing details, the size of the offering, and the number of shares up for grabs.

    Osim listed on the Singapore Exchange in 2000, but delisted in 2016 when its founder, Mr Ron Sim, took the company private.

    Mr Sim lamented then that the stock had not been fairly valued due to a lack of financial depth and liquidity in the Singapore market.

    In 2018, he shelved plans for V3’s Hong Kong listing, letting its application lapse, amid intense volatility and weakness in the global stock market.

    Monday’s application to the Hong Kong bourse comes after the lifestyle products group posted a surge in profit for the nine months ended Sept 30 last year. Profit after tax for the period stood at $72.7 million, 2.5 times the $28.7 million recorded in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 32.8 percent to $332.8 million, from $250.6 million previously.

    For the full year ended Dec 31, 2020, revenue was 15.6 percent higher year on year at $377.8 million, from $326.9 million in the financial year 2019. Profit after tax stood at $43.4 million, 58.9 percent higher than $27.3 million in the year-ago period.

    V3’s higher revenue during the two years ended Dec 31, 2020, and nine months ended Sept 30, 2021, was attributed to higher sales due to increased consumer demand for lifestyle and wellness products, targeted marketing and sales activities, and the success of blockbuster products.

    V3 owns the Osim brand, known for its massage chairs and relaxation products, luxury tea brand TWG Tea, nutritional supplement retailer ONI Global and Futuristic – a Singapore-headquartered manufacturer of store fixtures.

    Mr Sim opened his first store in Singapore in 1983 and later in Hong Kong in 1986. The company also expanded to Taiwan and Malaysia before officially launching the Osim brand name in 1993 and entering China.

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  • Blue Bottle makes Mainland China debut

    Blue Bottle makes Mainland China debut

    Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first store in the Chinese mainland on Friday in Shanghai, a city boasting the highest number of coffee shops worldwide.

    Naming its Shanghai debut “Yutong Cafe”, the American coffee chain selected a historic venue by Suzhou Creek, a river that passes through the Shanghai city center, symbolizing its resonance with the local market.

    The two-storey, vintage-looking building houses a selection of classic drip coffee and its signature espresso-based drinks. It also provides snacks inspired by an iconic portfolio from its worldwide operations.

    Unique to the Shanghai store are offerings from merchandise co-created with a local illustrator to a pastry palette featuring local specialties.

    The California-headquartered coffee brand was founded in 2002. Apart from the US, it currently has over 100 branches in markets like Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

    A study by Shanghai Jiao Tong University said Shanghai has the most coffee shops of any city globally by January 2021, with more than 6,900 coffee shops in the metropolis.

    Shanghai has vowed to build itself into an international consumption city, promoting the concept of a ‘debut economy’, meaning that businesses from home and abroad are attracted to open their first stores and launch new products in Shanghai.

    Local authorities expect 1,000 such “first stores” in the city to open last year.

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  • Russian liquor pulled from shelves in response to invasion

    Russian liquor pulled from shelves in response to invasion

    British Columbia is removing Russian spirits from liquor store shelves, and putting a halt to importing more, in solidarity with Ukraine as Russia continues to wage war on the country.

    “Our province stands with those who understand Europe’s peace following two world wars depends on respecting international law,” Deputy Premier Mike Farnworth said in a media release Friday afternoon.

    Premier John Horgan says efforts are underway to help the people of Ukraine after the Russian invasion began this week.

    “My intergovernmental officials are working with Ottawa to see what we can do with respect to sanctions and what we can do with respect to providing safe harbour for those that are fleeing with the violence that’s been beset upon them by a government that has clearly lost its way.”

    Farnworth said the province is donating $1 million to the Red Cross campaign in support of Ukrainian people.

    Several provinces pulled Russian products from liquor store shelves Friday as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.

    Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon called for the removal of Russian liquor from B.C. store shelves Friday morning.

    “What is going on in Ukraine is so totally unacceptable to all our democratic values and the things we hold dear,” he said.

    “I just think the province of British Columbia needs to do everything we can do to lend our support against those that are supporting Putin.”

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  • Thailand restaurateur Zen to resume expansion plan

    Thailand restaurateur Zen to resume expansion plan

    After seeing a rapid recovery in the food industry at the end of last year, Zen Corporation Plc, the operator of restaurant chains Zen, On the Table and Aka, has decided to resume expansion of its business this year.

    Boonyong Tansakul, chief executive of Zen, said the company believes the worst is behind it.

    “Chains endured a rough patch during the pandemic, but the industry has recovered faster than other sectors such as tourism,” said Mr Boonyong.

    “With better sentiment, we are ready to reinvest this year.”

    He said the company wants to resume opening new branches of the Aka Japanese restaurant this year after delaying expansion for two years during the pandemic.

    The new branches of Aka are mostly going to be located in hypermarkets over the next three years to reduce risk, instead of opting for Central malls as in the past, said Mr Boonyong.

    The company plans to open an Aka restaurant at a Big C hypermarket for the first time in Nakhon Pathom in April this year.

    Roughly 10-15 new Aka restaurants are planned for hypermarkets and Robinson Lifestyle Malls this year, with more scheduled for the next few years, boosting the total number of Aka eateries to 100 branches by 2025, up from 28 now.

    On the Table, a Tokyo café brand, was less affected by the pandemic, he said. The company plans to rebrand it this year to make it more modern, becoming a destination restaurant for younger customers.

    Restaurants are going to be redesigned to fit various customer lifestyles, said Mr Boonyong. Two branches in Lat Phrao and Bang Na have already been reworked, with a Rama IX Road branch next on the list.

    He said the company wants to open three new On the Table restaurants this year. One branch was opened at Silom Complex earlier this year, with new branches planned for The Mall Thapra and Samyan Mitrtown in the third and fourth quarters of this year, said Mr Boonyong.

    He said to overcome the pandemic, the company adjusted its business model to a hybrid restaurant, providing both a la carte and premium Japanese buffet under the same roof.

    There are a total of 44 Zen restaurants in Thailand, 29 branches of which have changed to the hybrid concept, with the remaining 15 still a la carte.

    After reworking its restaurant concept, the company wants to open more Zen hybrid restaurants at retail outlets of Central, The Mall and Robinson. It plans to open a Zen flagship restaurant at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center and a Zen Grab & Go at Muang Thong Thani in the third quarter of this year, said Mr Boonyong.

    A new Zen restaurant model will be launched this year to reach customers in office buildings, he said.

    “As consumer behaviour and spending power changes because of the pandemic, the landscape for restaurant chains has to drastically adapt in terms restaurant model, design and new facilities for pet lovers. These venues have to be reimagined to become lifestyle venues to encourage longer visits,” said Mr Boonyong.

    “More robots may be needed to serve customers who need an experience beyond just food.”

  • Moon Dog Brewing launches Cocktail Spritz

    Moon Dog Brewing launches Cocktail Spritz

    From the team that continues to surprise and delight Australians with their famously flavourful beers, Moon Dog Brewing is entering the ready-to-drink cocktail market and launching Moon Dog Cooler in early 2022. Since launching Moon Dog back in 2010, the company has been known for pushing the boundaries when it comes to flavor and in releasing Moon Dog Cooler, they’re taking this to a whole new level.

    Moon Dog Cooler is a new range of juicy cocktail spritzes that will be hitting shelves in January 2022 with all the health benefits of lighter beverages, like seltzer, whilst still offering a complex finish.

    Inspired by retro cocktails and mixed by 3x Australian bartender of the year, Chris Hysted-Adams (former Black Pearl) these cocktails are destined to be a hit at the next get together, at the park or at home after a long day.

    “It was really fun jumping back into the world of cocktail making and experimenting with different natural flavors and emulsions to create something that stands out against hand-rruxed spritzes. It’s been something that I’ve been drinking a lot of in recent months and I’m chuffed to now share it with consumers on a national scale”, says Hysted-Adams.

    It’ll be $25 for a 4-pack of Moon Dog Cooler, they’ll be wrapped up into a 16-can carton, meaning that a slab will be $100 bucks.

    Moon Dog Cooler will also be widely available in pubs, clubs, and bars through the world’s first Moon Dog Fizzer Alcoholic Seltzer Post Mix Machine and will be available to take home from the Moon Dog online store and all good bottle shops.

    The range will kick off with two delicious cocktail spritzes that are bound to be fan favorites; Blood Orange, Finger Lime & Agave and Passion Fruit, Yellow Peach & Yuzu.

    Blood Orange, Finger Lime & Agave is a spritzy twist on a margarita that’s bursting with zesty blood orange, fresh finger lime and a hint of agave. Passion Fruit, Yellow Peach & Yuzu is a spritzy twist on a tropical punch that is bursting with juicy passion fruit, fresh peach and zesty yuzu.

    “The Blood Orange, Finger Lime & Agave Cocktail Spritz is the perfect spritz Margarita for summer; it’s super light and refreshing but with bold, punchy flavors. The Passion Fruit, Yellow Peach & Yuzu Cocktail Spritz is a perfectly balanced uber tropical punch that offers a natural juicy finish without being too sweet”, says Hysted-Adams.

    Moon Dog Cooler offers a delicious flavourful cocktail spritz that’s low carbs, low calories, low sugar, all natural, preservative free and vegan friendly. Like all Moon Dog products, Moon Dog Cooler is Australian made and owned.

    “What we’ve been able to achieve with Moon Dog Cooler is great; they’re super flavourful, complex and delicious cocktail spritzes and with low carbs, natural flavours and no added sugar. We’re offering consumers something that’s never really been done before – Wallah!” says Hysted-Adams.

    Moon Dog Cooler can be enjoyed straight out of the can or over some ice. If you’re feeling a little bit fancy we’d recommend dipping your wine glass in some salt for the Blood Orange, Finger Lime & Agave Cocktail Spritz, or garnish the Passion Fruit, Yellow Peach & Yuzu cocktail spritz with a passion fruit half.

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  • PepsiCo launches the world’s first-ever nitrogen-infused cola

    PepsiCo launches the world’s first-ever nitrogen-infused cola

    The cola category has been around for over a century. While it’s had its share of flavor and packaging innovation, one thing has remained the same since the category’s inception – the bubbles. Pepsi is taking on its most ambitious feat yet, reimagining the cola experience with a massive innovation – Nitro Pepsi. Nitro Pepsi is the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola that’s actually softer than a soft drink – it’s creamy, smooth and has a mesmerizing cascade of tiny bubbles topped off by a frothy foam head.

    Nitro Pepsi will have you reconsider what you know about cola. Smaller bubbles, also infused with nitrogen, create an unbelievably smooth, creamy texture made possible by a unique widget placed at the bottom of every can. This is the first time this type of widget technology, often seen in beer and coffee products, is being applied to the cola category and creates the frothy, foamy, smooth texture unique to Nitro Pepsi. It does not look and taste like a traditional cola or soda, and in fact, it’s best consumed differently as well.

    While Nitro Pepsi is enjoyed from the can, there are a few steps you can take for optimal consumption. Nitro Pepsi is:

    • Best served cold, ideally without ice
    • Best “hard poured” or fully inverted into a tall glass
    • Best enjoyed sipped directly from the glass (rather than through a straw), allowing the unique foam head to leave a frothy, foamy mustache

    Nitro Pepsi will be available in two delicious flavors, Draft Cola and Vanilla Draft Cola, in newly designed cans in both single-serve and 4-pack varieties.

    “While soda has been a beverage of choice for so many consumers over the past century, some people still cite heavy carbonation as a barrier to enjoying an ice-cold cola.  With this in mind, we wanted to come up with a new way for people to enjoy delicious Pepsi cola, but with a new experience around the bubbles,” said Todd Kaplan, VP of Marketing – Pepsi. “Nitro Pepsi is a first-of-its-kind innovation that creates a smooth, creamy, delicious taste experience for fans everywhere. Much like how nitrogen has transformed the beer and coffee categories, we believe Nitro Pepsi is a huge leap forward for the cola category and will redefine cola for years to come.”

    Pepsi announced its intent to use this nitro technology in 2019 and has been working tirelessly to build out this innovation ever since. Finally, Nitro Pepsi will be available nationwide on March 28. Accompanying the roll-out will be a fully integrated marketing campaign including a new national television commercial that reinforces the uniquely smooth and creamy experience of Nitro Pepsi. In addition, fans will be able to try Nitro Pepsi ‘on tap’ for the first time beginning March 25 in the Sky Lounge at The High Roller Observation Wheel at THE LINQ Promenade on the Las Vegas Strip.

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  • Menulog expands services as demand grows

    Menulog expands services as demand grows

    Australian food-delivery service Menulog has added more than 2200 convenience and grocery partners as demand surges. The company says it has experienced 23-per-cent growth since January last year with demand booming in suburban and regional markets as well as metro cities. Independent businesses represent 37 per cent of Menulog’s grocery and convenience partners.

    Menulog has signed on IGA supermarkets, BP and Quickstop United Petroleum as new trading partners, with plans to add more in the near future as it continues to expand.

    Menulog MD, ANZ, Morten Belling, said Menulog’s point of difference had always been its breadth of coverage across Australia, fully serving metro areas, and with a strong courier and partner network spanning suburban, regional and rural areas.

    “We’re seeing exponential demand for convenience and grocery deliveries across all parts of Australia, in part driven by changes in consumer buying habits that started as a result of Covid restrictions,” said Belling.

    Customer demand is expected to rise this year and Menulog wants to prioritise its grocery and convenience delivery services even though retail trading restrictions have eased.

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  • Jollibee to enter Scotland

    Jollibee to enter Scotland

    International fast-food chain Jollibee has announced that it will open its first Scottish restaurant in Edinburgh and its second store in Glasgow.

    The company will open its Edinburgh store next Thursday in Princes Street with the second store opening a month later in Glasgow.

    The restaurant will serve halal meat to cater to all communities in both cities. In the last 18 months, overall UK sales rose by 417%.

    Jollibee was originally founded in 1978 and has more than 1,500 stores across 17 countries, including the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, UAE, and the UK in England and Wales.

    The first Jollibee in the UK opened in London in 2018 and has since added another eight locations to the map including Cardiff, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, and Leicester Square in London’s West End.

    Ernesto Tanmantiong, chief executive at Jollibee Group, said: “This is an important moment for us as we introduce Jollibee to Scotland with not one, but two restaurants launching within a month, showing our commitment to expand in Europe.

    “We are looking forward to serving our Scottish customer’s delicious food in a joyful restaurant experience. We know there are many in Scotland who have waited a long time for Jollibee to arrive and we’re excited to see the local communities experience Jollibee for the first time.”

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