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Stoners Rejoice! Homegrown Company Hot Pockets Making New Fancy Flavors
Photo byThe Impulsive Buy on Flickr
In a move similar to McDonald's fancy new cafes, Hot Pockets, owned by Nestle USA in Glendale, is going for a makeover that they hope will attract a young, upwardly mobile, food-savvy clientele.
The rebrand includes two new bread flavors in hopes of appealing to "foodies." But let's get real; the customer base is much more college stoner than gourmet geek. But the homegrown company is banking on Jeff Mauro, host of the Food Network series “Sandwich King,” to help them pitch the idea. He'll also be designing a flavor of Hot Pockets himself.
They're adding fillings like shaved hickory ham and slow-cooked Angus beef in hopes of appealing to those with elevated tastes, and adding two new types of crust: a buttery garlic option and a crispy version akin to a savory croissant.
Perhaps they're hoping to get in on the hybrid cronut trend? Who knows. But the pretzel bread crusts they introduced a while back didn't sound like a bad idea either.
Says the L.A. Times:
The items, made in kitchens in Chatsworth and Kentucky, will be available not only in grocery stores but also via the recently expanded Amazon Fresh online delivery program... Over the last few years, Hot Pockets sales — along with revenue throughout the frozen sandwich category — have declined slightly, Nestle said. Early last year, the company laid off a sixth of the Chatsworth factory's staff, or more than 100 workers, and trimmed the production week to four days from six.
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