The fast-food merch parade keeps on marching, with new offerings from established collections, collaborations with apparel and accessory brands, a soup-tastic swim collection – even a collectors-item heist!
1. Raising Cane’s & Post Malone Limited-Edition Cups
IMAGE CREDIT: Rachel Zoch
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers released four collectors cups this summer designed by singer/rapper Post Malone. “Drawing inspiration from his tattoos to his iconic on-stage moments, each cup reflects Post’s signature flair in this first-of-its kind brand collaboration,” says a statement on the chicken chain’s website. Each 32-oz. cup was available for two weeks only and included a QR code to enter to win merch, concert tickets and other prizes.
The pink and black cups were met with overwhelming demand – including a batch of 249 that were stolen from the restaurant’s location in Houston’s Galleria shopping mall (along with four gallons of dish soap) shortly after their release. The Cane’s Gear online shop also featured special merch for summer and back to school, from tees and shorts to hair accessories and school supplies.
.@PostMalone Collector’s Cup #2 is live… and it comes with an exclusive surprise when you scan the QR code on the cup! Be sure to POST UP your Combo next time you are at Cane’s to hear what it is. The cup is available until 7/18 or while supplies last. pic.twitter.com/j7hDJcTREp
— Raising Cane’s (@raisingcanes) July 6, 2023
2. KFC x Shady Rays ‘Ultimate Kentucky Collab’
IMAGE CREDIT: KFC Shop
Kentucky Fried Chicken touted its “ultimate summer collection” online – including, of course, a bucket hat designed to look like its iconic chicken buckets, with red and white stripes printed on the outside and chicken drumsticks on the inside.
A highlight of the collection, however, is the new, chic pair of sunglasses from Kentucky-based Shady Rays, a family-owned business that offers free replacement if you lose or break your pair for any reason. The KFC exclusive sunglasses include the same protection, and they feature red mirrored lenses and come with a KFC-branded microfiber cleansing pouch and vinyl brand decal.
3. Taco Bell x Crocs Summer Slides
IMAGE CREDIT: Crocs
Taco Bell’s merch game is strong, with a long history of wacky goods and brand stunts. While slides have long been a part of its collection, this summer, the fast-food chain teamed up with Crocs for a limited-edition pair available exclusively through the Crocs website. Nothing sells like scarcity, and Taco Bell Rewards Members were offered early access to purchase them.
Inspired by Taco Bell’s signature colors, the slides feature an ombré fade from black toe to purple heel with the bell logo on the straps and each word of the chain’s slogan “Live Más” imprinted separately in white in each footbed. One delighted fan titled their online review, “Best Crocs ever made!”
4. Panera Makes A Splash With Swimwear Suite
IMAGE CREDIT: Panera Shop
Panera Bread isn’t the only restaurant chain selling a branded swimsuit, but the sandwich seller might be the only one offering an entire swim collection. Just a few months after releasing its BAGuette bag – and a couple years after its first foray into the pool – the Panera Shop invites fans to dive into its Swim Soups: You Pick 2 Collection.
The assortment of 25 mix-and-match tops, bottoms and one-piece swimsuits featuring the chain’s popular flavors, from strawberry poppyseed salad to broccoli cheddar soup, echoes Panera’s You Pick 2 meal, where diners choose their own favorite combo.
5. Hot Girl Summer, Meet Pool Float Armada
IMAGE CREDIT: Funboy/Mattel
A quick survey of fast-food fan shops this summer reveals that pool floats have become a must-have element of most merch collections, with new shapes coming out year after year. From giant floating Taco Bell sauce packets to a life-sized (we think) Grimace character from McDonald’s to a giant Tim Horton’s iced cappuccino for fans of the Canadian coffee chain, there’s a fast-food float out there for just about every taste.
Even Barbie inspired a whole collection from pool float specialist Funboy, just in time for the summer blockbuster. The multi-item collab with toymaker Mattel features five different limited-edition Barbie-themed floats, plus matching pink captain’s hats, paisley beach towels and more. Many items were already sold out or almost sold out a week before the movie opened in late July.
