Teriyaki Madness Looks to Arizona for Expansion

Started in 2003, Las Vegas-based Teriyaki Madness is looking to expand across the southwest and Arizona looks to be a key part of that expansion.  Currently, Teriyaki Madness has seven locations, but hopes to open three more this year, have a total of 25 by 2015, and to have over 200 total restaurants in the next 10 years.  At this point, it is not known if any of the three set to open this year will be in Arizona, but stay tuned for updates. 

According to their press release, "Teriyaki Madness is providing an alternative to traditional fast food with its fresh, Asian-inspired dishes, such as chicken teriyaki and spicy chicken, both served with made-from-scratch sauces and a secret blend of spices. The average ticket price for lunch ranges from $10-$12 while dinner is around $13."  Check out the Full Teriyaki Madness menu here.

Saladworks Coming to Arizona

Photo by Saladworks - BLT Salad

With over 100 locations in 11 states, Saladworks is hoping to open 5 restaurants in Maricopa County by 2016 with the first location opening by the end of this year.  The location set to open this year isn't known just yet, but Scottsdale looks to be a safe bet since the franchisee mentioned in the QSR article is a Scottsdale resident. 

First opening in Cherry Hill, NJ in 1986, Saladworks specializes in salads, including the ability to create your own, but also has focaccia sandwiches, paninis, wraps, and soups.  View the full Saladworks menu here.

New Menu Items: Popeyes, Domino's, Whataburger, Cinnabon, Dunkin'

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen - Garlic Pepper Wicked Chicken - "Garlic Pepper Wicked Chicken includes thin strips of marinated, all white-meat chicken, hand-battered and breaded. Popeyes is also introducing its new Garlic Pepper Parmesan Dipping Sauce." A $3.99 combo with the chicken and dipping sauce, Cajun fries, a buttermilk biscuit, and a mini bottle of Tabasco pepper sauce is available until February 19.

Domino's Pizza - Parmesan Bread Bites - "The bite (or two) size, brand new, permanent menu item is there for the sharing - which, based on the goodness of freshly baked bread topped with garlic and Parmesan, may not be easy."  Also, if you order the two medium, two topping pizzas deal for $5.99 each, Domino's is offering the Parmesan Bread Bites for $1.

Whataburger - Chicken Fajita Taco - Coming in at 420 calories, the Chicken Fajita Taco "features sliced, grilled chicken breast; roasted poblano and red bell peppers; and grilled onions wrapped in a tortilla." 

Cinnabon - Cinnabon Flavored Iced Coffee & Cinnabon Flavored Coffee Chillatta - Available through May 20, "The Cinnabon Flavored Iced Coffee has hints of brown sugar, vanilla and Makara® cinnamon, making it the most bon-like coffee yet. The Cinnabon Flavored Coffee Chillatta is a frozen, blended beverage that contains Makara cinnamon and vanilla flavors blended with a ribbon of caramel and topped with whipped cream."

Dunkin' Donuts - New Bakery Sandwiches - The four new sandwiches are described in the press release, "Dunkin' Donuts' new Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich features Black Forest ham, white cheddar cheese and Creamy Dijon sauce on a French roll, while the new Turkey, Cheddar & Bacon Bakery Sandwich features turkey, white cheddar cheese, bacon and Ancho Chipotle sauce on a French roll. Customers can also order Chicken Salad and Tuna Salad Bakery Sandwiches, featuring chicken salad or tuna salad on a bagel...All bakery sandwiches are served oven-toasted and made-to-order on a French roll, bagel, or croissant."

JITB News: New Bacon Milkshake, Phoenix Misses Out On Fish Promo

The first new promotion at Jack in the Box is the Bacon Shake...I'll let that sink in for a second...

Made with real vanilla ice cream, bacon flavored syrup, whipped topping and a maraschino cherry.

Okay, so if you are brave enough to order one, there are a few things you should know.  First, get there fast since the quantities being delivered to Jack in the Box restaurants are said to be "as limited as limited can be." Next, according to a spokesman for the restaurant, "The shake is not listed on our menus in the restaurants, so it's more of a 'secret item' that people can order."  Finally, the nutrition of the 16 oz. Bacon Milkshake includes 773 calories, 40 grams of fat (28 saturated), 75 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein. 

Next we have a promotion that is specifically skipping over the Phoenix metro area.  The $2.99 Fish Sandwich Combo includes small fries, a small drink, and "two lightly battered fillets of Alaskan Pollock topped with lettuce and tartar sauce and served on a warm sesame seed bun"  Along with this, for $4.59, Jack in the Box is Jack "offering Fish & Chips, which includes three fish fillets and small order of fries along with a side of tartar sauce and malt vinegar."

Sadly for those of you that enjoy something fishy in the Phoenix area, at the bottom of the press release, Jack in the Box points out, "These promotions are not available in Phoenix."  If the AZFoodDude is not mistaken, these items are on the menu, so why is it that they can do the promotion in Tucson, Flagstaff, etc. but not in Phoenix?  And if they are not on the menu anymore and this is a special limited time deal, then what's preventing the distribution trucks from stopping in Phoenix when they are moving along the I-10 from California to Tucson and further east?  What's even better is the fact that we have a distribution center in Phoenix.  Not cool for the fish-loving folks in Phoenix, Jack.

Dairy Queen's Orange Julius Opens in Peoria

Coming on the heels of their opening in Tempe, Orange Julius has opened another location at 10100 W. Lake Pleasant Parkway #1320, Peoria, AZ 85383.  If you've never been to an Orange Julius, you can check out the menu focusing on fruit beverages and smoothies here, but also of note, from the press release: 

The DQ Orange Julius store in Peoria features DQ favorites, such as the iconic Blizzard Treats, MooLatte frozen coffee-flavored beverages, Blizzard Cakes and a wide variety of other soft-serve items, as well as the full line of Orange Julius premium fruit smoothies and fruit-blended beverages.

While known for their original Orange Julius, currently, the smoothie of the month is the Strawberry Delight Light Smoothie, which is made of strawberry and banana, a nonfat dairy blend and Splenda brand sweetener.

The location is open Sunday - Thursday from 10:30am to 10:30pm and 10:30am to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.