Prepare to be entertained with more mash-ups where operators blur the lines between foods, like what Burger King is now testing in some markets, the Whopperito. Is it a burrito, or is it a hamburger? The most iconic mash-up, and perhaps what got all this started, is the cronut—a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. Things like this are buzzworthy—making for great LTOs.
I think waffles are the perfect starting point for mash-ups. The waffle iron makes almost anything possible. IHOP did it some time ago with its Criss-Croissants in which it baked croissant dough in the waffle iron and filled the folded over result with “blackberry lemonade” and another with strawberry rhubarb.
The small Pasadena, Calif.-chain Dog Haus ran an LTO in which it sent King’s Hawaiian buns to the waffle iron then put chicken-fried sausage between the buns. It was called the Southbound and Down.
Think about how perfect the waffle iron is to capture caramelization, a crispy exterior and infused-ingredient possibilities. Sunflower seeds could easily have been baked into that King’s Hawaiian bun (although they weren’t).
Besides a mash-up of ingredients, waffles allow for a mash-up of dayparts. Is the griddled result breakfast or lunch? In today’s thinking—with a love of all-day breakfast that McDonald’s is championing in the fast-food realm—a combination of breakfast and lunch is completely natural. So bring on the waffle sandwiches, as in White Castle’s light-bulb idea with its newish Belgian Waffle Breakfast Sliders and Chicken & Waffle Slider.
Blurred breakfast and lunch isn’t all. How about blurred snack and dessert via the waffle iron? Perkins now offers Cinnamon Roll Wafflers it describes as three mini cinnamon roll waffles drizzled with cream cheese icing. Huddle House serves an Oreo Waffle Sundae—a mini waffle topped with vanilla ice cream, Oreo pieces and chocolate syrup.
Waffle tacos have been tested. Taco Bell tried out a waffle-shaped taco stuffed with eggs and sausage or bacon. Success escaped them and the chain retreated to a biscuit taco. This is not to say that waffle tacos are a bad idea—but maybe better as a dessert like Klondike’s Choco Tacos.
One brave gourmet ice cream truck, famous for its wild ice cream flavors (Coolhaus) even has one called fried chicken and waffles ice cream, which is said to be attractive to Millennials.
The waffle mash-up idea actually didn’t originate in the U.S. (I know, it’s hard to imagine.) We have the Netherlands to thank for stroopwafels, a Dutch treat that Wikipedia dates back to the late 18th century. These are sweet-filled waffle/cookie treats served as an accoutrement to coffee or tea. It’s a tradition to consume them together.
We might not know about those in the U.S. but for a Dutch college student who couldn’t find stroopwafels in the U.S., so he started making them in his dorm room. This lead to Rip van Wafels that are now sold in more than 7,500 Starbucks in the U.S. and Canada.
What could be next for waffles? There’s plenty of room for exploration. Someone’s imagination will likely lead to waffle pizza, waffle flatbread or waffle bowls. Will we see waffle quinoa?
Tell me what you think.
Jody
