Snack News

Salsa wins on Super Bowl survey conducted by Plano snacks company

Snack time is here.

Plano-based snacks company Frito-Lay conducted a poll about snacks consumed during Super Bowl Sunday and two winners emerged: potato chips and salsa.

Does Frito-Lay, which makes Doritos, Cheetos, and Tostitos, really need a poll? Seems like they would have sales figures that tell them what consumers snack on during big games or any other time of the year.

But a poll can serve as the basis of a story such as this, especially on a site that doesn't do many Super Bowl-related stories. Also Plano is a local company, and that surely merits some coverage.

The poll was conducted January 8-9, among a national sample of more than 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

According to a release from the company, Super Bowl Sunday, which this year takes place on February 3, is one of the single-largest retail sales days for snacks at many supermarkets. The poll found some minute differences in geographical preferences, says senior VP Steven Williams.

"Frito-Lay keeps its finger on the pulse of snacking, always looking at what consumers prefer," Williams says. "It's interesting to see how different regions and age groups snack – whether it's potato chips or tortilla chips, classic or spicy."

Poll results include:

80 percent of Americans surveyed will have potato chips or tortilla chips
Chicago favors popcorn
L.A., Dallas, Miami, New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C., favor potato chips
Houston, Atlanta, and Boston favor tortilla chips
Younger people — nearly half of Gen Z and millennials surveyed — favored cheesy and spicy snacks
Salsa is the top dip

"Super Bowl Sunday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year for snacks," Williams says. "It's different than other holidays we see throughout the year as consumers are most likely to be enjoying snacks specifically at home, which can mean their choices can vary from other occasions."

sports

Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

openings