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Ghirardelli has released Dubai-style chocolate squares filled with pistachio and crispy kataifi, and PepsiCo is partnering with Pilgrim’s Pride on Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites. The launches extend familiar brands into products and categories beyond their traditional offerings; the report does not give a release date for the chicken or detailed sales projections for either product.
Ghirardelli has launched Dubai Style Chocolate SQUARES filled with pistachio and crispy kataifi, while PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are bringing the Flamin’ Hot brand to frozen chicken tenders and bites. The moves put two recognizable food brands into new product formats, including the first reported entry of PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot line into the frozen aisle.
Ghirardelli’s new squares combine chocolate with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry used in Middle Eastern desserts. The company says the pieces are taller than its traditional squares to make room for more filling. They are sold in 4.4-ounce bags with a suggested retail price of $10.99, and are available at major retailers nationwide and through Ghirardelli.com, according to the report.
PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot flavor is being applied to Pilgrim’s Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders and Bites. The partnership marks the spicy brand’s first move into frozen foods, the report says. PepsiCo Senior Vice President of Foodservice Janelle Rowe described the collaboration as a way to bring the flavor into a new category; the report did not provide a launch date, price, or distribution details for the chicken products.
The report also covers a separate retail expansion: California Pizza Kitchen plans to introduce single-serve salads and salad kits in 2027 with FiveStar Gourmet Foods. Planned varieties include BBQ Chicken Chopped and Thai Crunch. The companies said they are also exploring other prepared-food opportunities, including dressings, but did not provide prices or a detailed rollout plan.
Familiar Brands Enter New Aisles
The launches show how food companies are using established brand recognition to reach shoppers in categories beyond a product’s usual home. Ghirardelli is adapting a viral dessert style to its recognizable square format, while PepsiCo is extending a flavor identity associated with snacks into a frozen protein product. For consumers, that could mean more ways to buy familiar flavors; for retailers, it adds products that may attract shoppers already drawn to those names.
The reported details also set limits on what can be concluded. Ghirardelli has named a price and current availability, but no sales forecasts were provided. PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s have announced the chicken collaboration, but without release timing or distribution information it is not yet possible to judge how broadly shoppers will be able to find it. The CPK salads are a longer-term plan, scheduled for 2027 rather than an immediate grocery launch.
Ghirardelli Dubai style chocolate squares pistachio
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The Dubai-style chocolate trend centers on a combination of chocolate, pistachio and kataifi. Food Dive traces the confection’s origins to 2021, when a chocolatier in Dubai created it to satisfy a pregnancy craving. The trend gathered wider attention after an influencer promoted it on TikTok in 2024, according to the report. Several companies, including Lidl, Hershey and Lindt, introduced their own Dubai-style offerings in 2025.
Ghirardelli, which has operated for 174 years according to the source, has also been expanding beyond its core chocolate products. Food Dive reported that it made its first entry into packaged cookies earlier in the month. Separately, PepsiCo established Flamin’ Hot as a standalone brand within its portfolio in 2024. At that time, the company said the brand generated more than $3 billion in retail sales; the report gives no more specific time period for that figure.
California Pizza Kitchen’s planned salads fit its wider effort to grow its packaged-food business, which already includes frozen pizzas. The report cites Grand View Research’s estimate that the U.S. packaged salad market was valued at $5.8 billion in the prior year and is projected to reach $7.1 billion by 2033. That market context is separate from the company’s announcement and does not establish how the new CPK products will perform.
““Consumers continue to be drawn to the rich pistachio filling and crispy kataifi texture that define Dubai-style chocolate.””
— Bobby Oliver, Ghirardelli vice president and head of marketing
Launch Details Still Missing
The report does not specify when the Flamin’ Hot chicken will reach stores, its price, packaging, retailer list, or whether distribution will be nationwide. It also does not give product nutrition details or explain how the flavor will be applied to the tenders and bites. Those details remain unconfirmed in the source material.
For the CPK salads, 2027 is the stated launch year, but the companies have not provided a release date, price, or planned distribution footprint in the report. The announcement also does not spell out which salad kits will be sold alongside the named varieties. The market estimate cited for packaged salads is a category forecast, not a projection for CPK’s products.
Ghirardelli’s price is a suggested retail price, not a guarantee that every store will charge the same amount. The report does not provide sales results or consumer research specific to these new squares. PepsiCo’s historical Flamin’ Hot sales figure and the cited spicy-food survey describe broader brand or category interest, not expected sales for the chicken launch.
Retail Rollouts and More Details
Ghirardelli’s squares are already available through the channels identified in the report, so shoppers can check major retailers or the company’s website for local stock and pricing. Further information needed to track the launch includes sales performance and whether the product remains in the market or expands its distribution.
For the chicken collaboration, the next key development is a retail launch announcement with timing and availability. PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s may provide additional product and distribution details, but the report does not say when that information will be released. California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar’s stated milestone is the planned 2027 introduction; the companies also say they are considering other prepared-food products, without confirming specific launches.
Key Questions
What is in Ghirardelli’s Dubai-style chocolate squares?
They contain pistachio filling and crispy kataifi pastry in chocolate. Ghirardelli says the squares are taller than its traditional version to hold more filling.
How much do the Ghirardelli squares cost?
The reported suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 4.4-ounce bag. Store prices may vary.
What is new about PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot chicken?
Pilgrim’s Pride is making Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites with PepsiCo. The report describes it as Flamin’ Hot’s first entry into the frozen aisle, but does not give a retail launch date.
When will California Pizza Kitchen’s salads be sold?
California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to introduce single-serve salads and kits in 2027. A more specific date, price and distribution plan were not provided.
Source: rss
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