These Fast-Food Companies are Serving Up Food NFTs

From vintage Coca-Cola coolers to non-edible Pringles, consumers are developing an appetite for non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The burgeoning technology allows people to secure unique ownership of artwork, videos, photos and other digital content on the blockchain. Now, food NFT adoption is picking up steam across the food and beverage industry, with many fast-food chains displaying interest in them.

Starbucks

Earlier this month, Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz announced the company’s plans to enter the NFT space. After retaking the reigns of the company, Schultz said the coffee giant would be in the NFT business before the end of the calendar year.

“If you look at the companies, the brands, the celebrities, the influencers that are trying to create a digital NFT platform and business, I can’t find one of them that has the treasure trove of assets that Starbucks has — from collectibles to the entire heritage of the company,” Schultz said at a town hall meeting.

Related: How Cryptocurrency and the Metaverse Can Help the Food Industry

While the company did not specify what a Starbucks food NFT would entail, there are several different forms it could take. For example, restaurants could reward their most loyal customers by issuing them an NFT. Another potential avenue could be a subscription coffee club, like the Bored Breakfast Club, an NFT-powered subscription service that sends NFT holders special coffee roasts by mail.

McDonald’s

Starbucks isn’t the only fast-food giant taking advantage of food NFTs for short-term promotions and building brand awareness. McDonald’s Italy collaborated with three digital artists — lettering artist Daniele Tozzi, illustrator Serena Gianoli and designer Nicola Laurora — to curate and launch a collection of 300 NFTs on OpenSea , where they were given away to customers in a contest. 

Although it is the first NFT by McDonald’s Italy, it is not the first by the global brand. In October 2021, McDonald’s China launched a Big Mac NFT collection. Following its success, McDonald’s USA launched a Twitter competition to win a McRib NFT. 

Although it is unclear how McDonald’s will utilize NFTs next, one aspect that the company may choose to use NFTs in the future could be for logistics. McDonald’s has substantial worldwide logistical operations. Since blockchain technology and smart contracts are highly effective in these areas, McDonald’s could also use them for patents.

Burger King

Burger King entered the food NFT space by running an NFT promo as part of its “Keep It Real” campaign. As part of the campaign, the fast-food giant eliminated 120 artificial ingredients from its menu.

On six million Burger King meal boxes, the company printed QR codes that enabled customers to access three collective NFT game pieces. Once the customer collected all three, they were rewarded with one of the three unlockable benefits — a year’s worth of burgers, a digital collectible or a phone call with one of the campaign’s social media personalities.

Burger King incorporated NFTs in its digital branding strategy to increase brand awareness and revamp its customer loyalty program.

Starbucks, McDonald’s and Burger King are just a few of many well-known brand names that have delved into the NFT industry and cryptocurrency products in general. Brands like Arizona Iced Tea, Oscar Mayer, Snickers and more have been dipping their toes into the blockchain conversation.

Global food brands are discovering that customer loyalty is boosted by food tokenization, as these tokens reward the individuals and promote the brand.