It's not delivery, it's a cro-pizza 

Pizza may have started in Italy, but through the years, Americans have made their own signature innovations to the dish. In the last several decades, CPG manufacturers have put pizza in crackers and rolls, and on French bread, bagels, hot dogs, cauliflower and chicken.

But now, DiGiorno is adding another pizza base to the mix. Taking a page from cronuts —​ the legendary doughnut-croissant mashup first created by a New York City bakery seven years ago —​ the Nestlé-owned frozen pizza brand is building the Italian pie on top of a gigantic round croissant.

DiGiorno’s Croissant Crust Pizza, which the brand says combines layers of flaky buttery crust with the savory and cheesy taste of pizza, is available in three varieties: Pepperoni, Four Cheese and Three Meat.

"Food mashups continue to drive culinary creativity and inspire a fun connection for people," Megan Smargiasso, DiGiorno brand manager, said in a statement. "We're excited about adding DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza to the list of unexpected food trends, especially as people spend more time eating at home right now and want true comfort food."

Both pizza and croissants certainly fit the definition of comfort food, and this unique combo targets the homebound pandemic consumer. According to Nielsen statistics, frozen pizza was one of the biggest areas of growth in grocery stores, with sales up 48% during the week that ended June 13. According to a study from the American Frozen Food Institute, more than a third of consumers who buy frozen pizza are stocking up on it during the pandemic.

But the most interesting thing to see is when consumers will enjoy this mashup. Croissants are generally eaten for breakfast. Pizza is more of a lunch or dinner option, but it's also known to start consumers’ days when left over in their refrigerators. This new combo seems to be not only two comfort foods colliding, but also permission to bake a pizza for breakfast.

—​ Megan Poinski  

A Truly boozy summer

Just in time for summer, the hard seltzer trend is making a comeback in a new form. 

Truly Hard Seltzer partnered with Tipsy Scoop to create a "first-of-its-kind hard seltzer-infused ice cream variety pack," according to an email sent to Food Dive. 

The new product line is available in four flavors based on its Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzers: Truly Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet, Truly Mango Lemonade Sorbet, Truly Original Lemonade Ice Cream and Truly Black Cherry Lemonade Ice Cream.

Hard seltzer sales sizzled last summer as companies such as Constellation Brands and AB InBev unveiled new drinks to compete with the success of White Claw. Truly has continued to innovate in the space and launched Truly Lemonade Seltzer, a mix of hard seltzer and lemonade, this year — which the new ice cream line is based on. 

Truly, which is owned by Boston Beer Company, said last year it was committed to innovation in the category as demand grew. 

"Hard seltzer is arguably the most disruptive entrant into the alcohol category since light beer," Casey O'Neill, an innovation team member for Truly Hard Seltzer, told Food Dive last year. "Given Truly's growth, and the overall growth in the category, hard seltzer isn’t just a trend, it’s here to stay."

In recent years, boozy ice cream has grown increasingly popular. Other than Tipsy Scoop, Arctic Buzz offers a frozen dairy dessert with vodka and last year, Häagen-Dazs launched booze-infused ice cream.  

This also isn't the first partnership Tipsy Scoop has done with a trendy alcoholic beverage. In 2019, the company partnered up with Boston Beer's Angry Orchard to launch a new flavor of alcoholic ice cream based on the hard cider.

Although the new launch is a trendy and more unique offering that could bring in fans of hard seltzer and ice cream, it’s high price tag could deter some consumers. The Truly Lemonade ice cream and sorbet variety pack with cans of Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer is available for purchase nationwide on TipsyScoop.com for $60, or shoppers can get just the pints for $48. 

— Lillianna Byington

Krispy Kreme aims to fill hole with new retail offering

While consumers may be trying to eat healthier, the urge to indulge remains with sweets like the popular Krispy Kreme doughnut ideally positioned to benefit. 

To make it even easier to munch on one of its popular glazed sugar bombs, Krispy Kreme rolled out a line of new bite-size products at Walmart on Monday with plans to offer them on the retail giant’s website in the coming weeks. 

The Doughnut Bites will be available in Original Glazed, Chocolate and Apple Cinnamon, while Mini Crullers will be offered in Original Glazed and Blueberry. Krispy Kreme also will offer seasonal flavors at Walmart, starting with new Strawberry Doughnut Bites and Lemon Crullers.

"For over 80 years, fans all across America have asked us to bring the great taste of Krispy Kreme to their neighborhood," Dave Skena, chief marketing officer for Krispy Kreme, said in a statement. "Now, with the help of our partners at Walmart we are able to do just that."

Krispy Kreme plans to introduce the products into other retailers in 2021, AdAge reported. Skena told the publication the new bites are similar to what Krispy Kreme sells in its shops, though the packaged bites are cake doughnuts —​making them easier to distribute than the yeast ones it peddles in its stores.

The new doughnuts and crullers come as consumers have been buying more items to snack on, either at home under the current climate or on-the-go. While Krispy Kreme is popular in the Mid-Atlantic and the southern U.S., entering Walmart's 4,700 stores and online platform will give it an immediate nationwide footprint. For the world’s largest retailer, it offers another exclusive item, at least temporarily, that could be used to attract customers and separate itself from its competitors. 

Still, the new endeavor into the center of the store promises to be anything but easy for Krispy Kreme. The doughnut company will be going up against a host of other already well-established brands with similar offerings like Little Debbie, Hostess, TastyKake and private label offerings.

—​ Christopher Doering