People love the taste of Dr Pepper soda, so restaurants are choosing new ways to work it into sauces, rubs and shakes.
Round Table Pizza launched a Dr Pepper-inspired menu last month built around a Dr Pepper-infused barbecue sauce, according to The Los Angeles-based chain’s Dr Pepper BBQ Pizza is topped with bacon and mini pepperoni, then finished with a drizzle of the sauce that pools in the pepperoni cups. “You get these little pockets of smoky and sweet,” says VP of Marketing Corry Reid. The sauce also coats wings and comes with new bacon and cheese tots. The limited-time menu runs through Jan. 3.
Slim Chickens, the 300-unit Arkansas chain, rolled out a Dr Pepper dry rub in September for its tenders and wings. Portillo’s joined the Pepper party in August with a Dr Pepper Shake, plus a version blended with a whole slice of its chocolate cake. Keurig Dr Pepper appears to be pushing harder on these tie-ups, and Restaurant Business says the wave of Dr Pepper menu items looks like the start of a trend.