Stranger Flavors

"Strange" Yet Delicious Additions to Your Menu

What do the Demogorgon and banana popcorn have in common? They are both strange. If you have a Netflix subscription, you probably have already binged watched season three of the hit series, Stranger Things. Set in Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, Stranger Things tells the story of a group of young friends who witness supernatural forces and extraordinary mysteries. This series is exciting, frightening, and most definitely strange. However, just because something is strange doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It means that it is memorable and unique.

Memorable and unique is how you want your concession stand to be described. In the concession stand business, your menu needs products that will set you apart from other stands. People like weird and different things. Maybe “strange” products are exactly what your menu needs.

Here are “strange” yet delicious flavors and toppings that you can add to your menu to make the crowds interested.

Stranger Popcorn Flavors

Don’t just stick to classic popcorn flavors. Instead, think outside the box. Sell popcorn flavors that other concession stands don’t have. For example, add fruit-inspired popcorn to your menu. We have recipes for flavors such as lemon, grape, strawberry, watermelon, banana, and even spicy mango. You can name the banana flavor, “Byers Banana popcorn” and the watermelon flavor, “Will the Wise Watermelon”. These fun Stranger Things names will have your customers begging for more.

Or try popcorn flavors that combine foods you already love such as loaded baked potato, pizza, dill pickle, or Cincinnati style chili. In Stranger Things the characters constantly think outside the box to save the world. Why not be different by selling these unique popcorn flavors?

Stranger Fudge

On the sweeter side, you can include “strange” flavors of fudge on your menu. Spicy Aztec Chocolate Fudge will have your customers coming back for more. This craveable treat contains Ghost Pepper Flavacol.  Its unique name and color will have your customers curious.

Or channel your inner child and serve Peanut Butter and Jelly Fudge. Unlike most fudge, this dish contains Hawaii’s Finest Grape Sno-Kone ® Concentrate to add that jelly flavor.

Lime and cotton candy fudge aren’t common fudge flavors you think of. These fudges combine Sweet Selections ® Base Fudge Mix with different flavors of Sno-Kone ® Concentrate. You can name the lime fudge creation, “friends don’t lime”. This is a playoff of the popular phrase, “friends don’t lie”, which is said throughout the Stranger Things series.

Stranger Waffles

Stranger Things fans know how much the character, Eleven, likes Kellogg’s Eggo waffles. In fact, she is obsessed with them. Imagine if she knew all the things that can be done with waffles. For example, you can create bubble waffle nachos, tacos, pizza, pb and j, and even grilled cheese. These waffle creations put a unique twist on the foods you already love. You can incorporate these waffles into your menu and even give them Stranger Things names such as the “Mad Max” taco and the “Pollywog” pizza.

You can even dress up your usual waffle cone products. Make them “strange” by having multi-colored waffle cones or rainbow sprinkled. These visually appealing products will catch your customer’s eyes for sure. I bet Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream shop in Stranger Things, would love to serve these waffle cones.

Stranger Hot Dog Toppings

Hot dogs are among America’s favorite foods. Classic dogs are usually topped with mustard, ketchup, relish, or mayonnaise. But that doesn’t stop people from adding “strange” new toppings to their hot dogs.

Across the United States ballparks, amusement parks, concessions stands, etc. are creating new hot dog topping creations that are “strange” but delicious.

• Here are some recent examples:
  • Progressive Field, home to the Cleveland Indians, served a hot dog topped with macaroni and cheese, bacon, and fruit loops.
  • Global Life Park, home to the Texas Rangers’, served a hot dog topped with nacho cheese and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
  • Global Life Park also created a hot dog covered with cotton-candy-infused mustard and cotton candy.
  • Turner Field, home to the Atlanta Braves, sold a hot dog topped with macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and a cherry tomato all in the shape of a sundae.

Create your own “strange” hot dog creation and call it “the demodog”. Fans of the show will know you are referring to the terrifying dog-like monsters and will be excited to try.

What stranger flavors or toppings have you had or sold? Visit us on Facebook and tell us your favorites!