7-Eleven Is Cashing In on the Weird Cereal Food Trend for Free Slurpee Day
Would you try one?
Tomorrow, 7-Eleven stores around the country celebrate the annual Slurpee giveaway, a day of free small-sized slushies from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time in honor of the convenience chain’s 91st birthday. The brand keeps the tradition alive by capitalizing on new trends: in the past, it’s advertised mustache straws, flavors like Sour Patch Kids and Skittles, and even Slurpee-flavored donuts. This year, alongside Cherry and Coca-Cola Slurpees, patrons can try a Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries variation.
It’s the first cereal-inspired Slurpee, but far from the first cereal-inspired dessert, drink, or meal — besides adding a bowl and milk — that has swept the internet. Restaurants, diners, and cafés with trendy cereal snacks have popped up in major cities to great fanfare and acclaim. Cereal is one of the most adaptable food trends, working its way into everything from frappuccinos to Instagram influencer-created dishes.
Cap'n Crunch
How Did the Cereal Food Trend Start?
Cereal was first deemed at “it” food item by InStyle almost two years ago, when restaurants that had the instant breakfast staple on the menu first popped up in places like London and LA. Then Kith launched its Brooklyn-based shoe store and cereal bar crossover, with cereal and shoes still available at multiple locations.
But even without the capitalist zeal of brand partnerships, cereal has definitely entrenched itself in a culture beyond the breakfast table. The American diet has never been one for overtly nutritious breakfasts, so why stop at eating Reese’s Puffs in just the morning? Why not put cereal on donuts, on ice cream, on the Starbucks secret menu?
Is Cereal Food Even Good?
The Cap’n Crunch Berries Slurpee is a deep turquoise shade, photos of which practically emanate stained teeth and sugar. But cherry slushies, ICEEs, and sno-cones are revered by kids and adults alike, so another fruity ice treat is probably going to taste decent. The idea of a cereal-flavored Slurpee is undeniably gross, but a berries variation doesn’t sound too bad.
Other trendy cereal foods have been received to acclaim, especially the Milk Bar’s legendary cereal milk soft serve. The mild cereal flavoring combined with creamy soft serve is appetizing, but some other cereal-inspired offerings are less so. The menu at Kellogg’s NYC has four dishes listed online, and none of them sound particularly tasty. One, designed by influencer Lauren Conrad, has Frosted Flakes, Maple Bacon, Strawberry Jam, and Eggo Waffle bits — and that one is tame compared to the others.
If you’re interested in sampling a free Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries-inspired Slurpee, look no further than your closest participating 7-Eleven location.
