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Ghirardelli has launched Dubai Style Chocolate Squares with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, available nationwide in a 4.4-ounce bag for a suggested $10.99. Separately, PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are introducing Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites, the first move for the flavor brand into the frozen aisle. California Pizza Kitchen also plans grocery-store salads and kits in 2027.
Ghirardelli has launched Dubai Style Chocolate Squares filled with pistachio and crispy kataifi, while PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are teaming up on Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites. The moves take two widely recognized brands into new product formats: Ghirardelli is adapting a viral chocolate trend for its signature square, and Flamin’ Hot is entering the frozen aisle for the first time, according to Food Dive.
Ghirardelli’s new squares combine pistachio filling and kataifi, a shredded pastry dough used in Middle Eastern desserts. The pieces are taller than the company’s traditional squares to make room for more filling. The product is sold in a 4.4-ounce bag at major retailers nationwide and on Ghirardelli.com, with a suggested retail price of $10.99.
PepsiCo’s partnership with poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride brings the Flamin’ Hot flavor to frozen chicken tenders and bites. The companies described the collaboration as the first time the spicy brand has entered the frozen aisle. PepsiCo did not give a launch date or pricing in the material cited by Food Dive.
A third product development in the report is planned for 2027: California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods intend to introduce single-serve salads and kits for grocery retail. The planned range includes BBQ Chicken Chopped and Thai Crunch salads. The companies said they are also exploring further prepared-food opportunities, such as dressings, but did not announce additional products or release dates.
Brands Move Beyond Their Core Aisles
The launches show how food companies are using recognizable brands to compete in adjacent categories and formats. Ghirardelli is applying its chocolate identity to a trend-driven flavor and texture combination; PepsiCo is extending Flamin’ Hot beyond snacks and other existing products into a frozen meal component.
For shoppers, the immediate difference is access to these flavors in new forms, though price and availability vary by product. Ghirardelli’s product has a listed suggested price and nationwide retail availability. The chicken announcement establishes the partnership and product types, but without timing or pricing, consumers cannot yet tell when or where they will be able to buy them.
The CPK plans point to a similar brand-extension strategy in refrigerated grocery foods. The salad launch is farther out, with a 2027 target, and its commercial performance will depend on execution and retail distribution that have not yet been detailed.
Ghirardelli Dubai style chocolate squares pistachio
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The Trends Behind the Launches
Dubai-style chocolate pairs chocolate with pistachio and crispy kataifi. Food Dive reports that the confection originated with a Dubai chocolatier in 2021 and gained wider attention after an influencer promoted it on TikTok three years later. The trend has since led other companies, including Lidl, Hershey and Lindt, to introduce related products. Ghirardelli is owned by the same company as Lindt, according to the report.
Ghirardelli has also been expanding into other packaged sweets: Food Dive reported that the company recently made its first move into packaged cookies. PepsiCo, meanwhile, established Flamin’ Hot as a distinct brand within its portfolio in 2024. The company said at the time that the brand had generated more than $3 billion in retail sales and that presenting it as a standalone brand would make its products easier for consumers to identify.
Flamin’ Hot products already span snacks and other categories, including Doritos, Cheetos, Funyuns and Jack Link’s jerky. The Pilgrim’s collaboration adds frozen chicken to that list. The report also cited a survey published by NC Solutions two years ago in which 62% of respondents said they were more likely to buy a food or beverage item advertised as spicy. That survey result describes its respondents, not all consumers.
“Consumers continue to be drawn to the rich pistachio filling and crispy kataifi texture that define Dubai-style chocolate.”
— Bobby Oliver, Ghirardelli’s vice president and head of marketing
frozen Flamin' Hot chicken tenders
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Launch Details Still Pending
The available report does not specify when Flamin’ Hot chicken will reach stores, its price, the retailers that will carry it, or whether distribution will be nationwide. The companies have announced the product collaboration, but further details are needed to establish its rollout.
For California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar, 2027 is the stated target, but no specific release date, pricing or distribution footprint is provided. The report also does not clarify the full size of the planned product range or which additional prepared foods the companies may pursue.
Ghirardelli’s squares are described as available at major retailers nationwide and online, but the source does not list specific retailers or provide sales figures. The report does not establish how consumers are responding to the product.
Ghirardelli crispy kataifi chocolate
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Retail Rollouts and Product Timing
Shoppers can look for Ghirardelli Dubai Style Chocolate Squares at major retailers and through Ghirardelli.com; the listed suggested retail price is $10.99 per 4.4-ounce bag. PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s have not provided a chicken launch date in the cited report, so the next useful update would be details on availability, pricing and distribution.
California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar are aiming to bring their single-serve salads and kits to market in 2027. Further announcements would be needed to confirm the release schedule, retail partners and whether dressings or other prepared foods will be included.
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Key Questions
What is in Ghirardelli’s Dubai Style Chocolate Squares?
They contain pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry dough used in Middle Eastern desserts. Ghirardelli says the squares are taller than its traditional version to hold more filling.
How much do the Ghirardelli squares cost?
The suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 4.4-ounce bag. They are listed as available at major retailers nationwide and on Ghirardelli.com.
What is new about PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot chicken products?
The chicken tenders and bites, made with Pilgrim’s Pride, mark Flamin’ Hot’s first entry into the frozen aisle, according to the report. The launch date, price and retailer list have not been announced in the source material.
When will California Pizza Kitchen salads be sold in stores?
California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to launch the single-serve salads and kits in 2027. A specific release date and retail distribution details have not been provided.
Source: rss
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