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Ghirardelli has launched Dubai-style chocolate squares with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, available at major retailers and online. PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are bringing Flamin’ Hot seasoning to frozen chicken tenders and bites, the flavor brand’s first move into the frozen aisle. California Pizza Kitchen also plans single-serve packaged salads for 2027.
Ghirardelli has launched Dubai Style Chocolate Squares featuring pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, while PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are bringing Flamin’ Hot flavor to frozen chicken in a first for the brand’s frozen-aisle expansion. The two launches extend familiar brands into new packaged-food formats; California Pizza Kitchen separately plans to bring single-serve salads and kits to retail in 2027.
Ghirardelli’s new squares combine chocolate with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry used in Middle Eastern desserts. The pieces are taller than the company’s traditional squares to accommodate more filling. Food Dive reports that the product is available at major retailers nationwide and on Ghirardelli.com in a 4.4-ounce bag, with a suggested retail price of $10.99.
PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot brand is partnering with poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride on Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders and Bites. The products mark the flavor line’s first entry into the frozen aisle, according to Food Dive. PepsiCo did not provide launch dates, pricing or distribution details in the material supplied.
California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to introduce single-serve salads and kits in 2027. The planned collection includes BBQ Chicken Chopped and Thai Crunch salads inspired by CPK’s restaurant menu. The companies say they intend to expand distribution and product development through the partnership; they are also exploring other prepared-food opportunities, including dressings.
Brands Expand Beyond Their Core Aisles
The launches show established food companies seeking new ways to extend recognizable products and flavors into retail categories. Ghirardelli is applying the Dubai-style chocolate format to its signature square, while PepsiCo is licensing or partnering around a flavor brand to reach frozen chicken shoppers through Pilgrim’s. For consumers, the developments mean more branded choices in confectionery and frozen foods, although the source does not report sales forecasts or consumer response to these specific products.
The CPK plan points to another route: a restaurant brand entering grocery refrigeration with prepared salads. FiveStar’s participation supplies a manufacturing and retail partner, while the 2027 timing leaves the launch further out than the other two developments. The three announcements reflect product expansion, but they differ in how far along they are: Ghirardelli’s squares are on sale, Pilgrim’s chicken is being launched, and CPK’s salads remain a future plan.
Ghirardelli Dubai-style chocolate squares pistachio
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A Trend Becomes a Branded Square
Dubai-style chocolate pairs chocolate with a rich pistachio center and crisp kataifi. The supplied Food Dive report traces the confection to a Dubai chocolatier in 2021 and says it drew wider attention after an influencer promoted it on TikTok in 2024. Other companies, including Lidl, Hershey and Lindt, introduced their own versions in 2025, according to the report. Ghirardelli is owned by the same company as Lindt.
The Flamin’ Hot brand spans products such as Doritos and Cheetos, and PepsiCo established it as a standalone brand within its portfolio in 2024. At that time, the company said Flamin’ Hot products generated more than $3 billion in retail sales. That figure describes the brand’s retail sales at the time cited, not sales of the new chicken products. The report also notes a survey published by NC Solutions two years earlier in which 62% of surveyed consumers said they were more likely to buy a food or beverage advertised as spicy; it does not establish demand for these specific tenders or bites.
CPK already sells frozen pizzas and has been extending its restaurant identity into packaged foods. The new salads would broaden that retail presence into refrigerated prepared foods, with FiveStar Gourmet Foods as its partner.
“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 To Come
The supplied report gives Ghirardelli’s package size and suggested price but does not specify store-by-store availability or whether the product will be offered in additional sizes. For the Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites, a release date, pricing, retailer list, ingredients and nutrition information were not provided. The report confirms the partnership and product names, but not how broadly or quickly they will reach stores.
For CPK, the salads are planned for 2027, but the companies have not specified a precise launch date, initial distribution footprint, price or final product lineup. Their statement describes plans to grow distribution and innovation over time, not a confirmed timetable beyond the year given.
single-serve salads California Pizza Kitchen
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Retail Rollouts and 2027 Salads
Consumers can look for Ghirardelli’s Dubai Style Chocolate Squares at major retailers and on the company’s website, according to Food Dive. Pilgrim’s and PepsiCo’s next reported milestone will be the retail rollout of their chicken tenders and bites; further information on timing and availability has not been announced in the supplied material.
CPK and FiveStar are targeting a 2027 introduction for the salad line. Additional information about distribution, pricing and the final range may emerge as the launch approaches. The companies have also said they are considering other prepared-food products, but have not identified specific items or release dates.
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Key Questions
What is in Ghirardelli’s Dubai Style Chocolate Squares?
The squares contain pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry used in Middle Eastern desserts. They are taller than Ghirardelli’s traditional squares.
How much do Ghirardelli’s new squares cost?
The reported suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 4.4-ounce bag. Retail prices may vary by seller.
What is new about Flamin’ Hot chicken?
Pilgrim’s Pride and PepsiCo are bringing Flamin’ Hot flavor to chicken tenders and bites. The partnership marks the brand’s first move into the frozen aisle, according to Food Dive.
When will California Pizza Kitchen’s packaged salads be available?
CPK and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to launch single-serve salads and kits in 2027. A specific date, price and distribution plan have not been reported.
Source: rss
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