The beloved frozen yogurt brand brings the sweet-fruit flavor to life for Valentine’s Day
(IRVINE, Calif.) February 1, 2023 – HI-CHEW™, the immensely fruity, intensely chewy candy has teamed up with Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, North America’s largest self-serve frozen yogurt franchise, to bring back a consumer favorite: HI-CHEW™ Raspberry. The limited-edition flavor is launching in participating Menchie’s stores nationwide throughout February.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, consumers will be able to once again enjoy the HI-CHEW™ Raspberry flavor as a decadent treat with their loved one. Inspired by HI-CHEW’s Raspberry flavor, which launched in the HI-CHEW™ Berry Mix in 2021, this sweet and tart treat has a bright, vibrant pinkish hue and is perfect to enjoy with your sweetheart on a date, a get together with a friend, or a family outing. Menchie’s HI-CHEW™ Raspberry flavor is nonfat and is made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high fructose corn syrup, which brings consumers a refreshing depth of flavor and fruit-forward notes in each bite.
This is the fifth collaboration between HI-CHEW™ and Menchie’s. The two brands first teamed up in July 2019 when Menchie’s launched HI-CHEW™ Dragon Fruit, inspired by the fan favorite HI-CHEW™ Dragon Fruit flavor. In 2020, Menchie’s unveiled two flavors, HI-CHEW™ Mango and HI-CHEW™ Passion Fruit, which could be enjoyed on their own or swirled together to create the mouthwatering flavor of HI-CHEW™ Tropical Smoothie. Last year, for National Candy Month in June, Menchie’s created a sweet and sour HI-CHEW™ Rainbow Sherbet Flavor in celebration of HI-CHEW’s Fantasy Mix. Menchie’s first launched its HI-CHEW™ Raspberry flavor for a limited time in July 2021.
“We are so excited to have Menchie’s bring back the HI-CHEW™ Raspberry flavor this year,” said Teruhiro Kawabe (Terry), Chief Representative for the USA & President, CEO of Morinaga America Inc. “The HI-CHEW™ Berry Mix has long been a favorite since its launch in 2021, and consumers couldn’t get enough of the HI-CHEW™ Raspberry flavor at Menchie’s. As a highly requested treat, we are sure consumers will be excited about bringing this limited edition treat back to Menchie’s stores.”
Since its launch, HI-CHEW™ has been driven by flavor innovation and experimentation, and the research and development team continues to bring authentic fruity confections to consumers. Similarly, Menchie’s, which opened its doors in 2007, has a talented culinary team committed to bringing its guests high-quality, proprietary frozen yogurt and sorbet flavors as well as bringing unique brand partnerships to life in stores worldwide.
“We are thrilled to partner with HI-CHEW™ again to feature this refreshing raspberry flavor in our stores in February, making it the perfect Valentine’s Day treat,” said Elizabeth Berry, VP of Marketing at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt. “In addition to providing high-quality frozen yogurt and vegan sorbet options, we are also focused on providing a fun, upbeat store environment where friends and family can gather and make memories. We can’t wait to see our guests smile as they fill up their cups with this sweet treat!”
The HI-CHEW™ Raspberry flavor will be available throughout the month of February at participating Menchie’s stores nationwide. To find a Menchie’s store near you, visit Menchies.com. Like Menchie’s on Facebook and follow Menchie’s on Instagram and TikTok for the latest flavor news. To learn more about HI-CHEW™ and purchase your favorite products, please visit us online at HI-CHEW.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram (@HICHEWUSA).
About Morinaga America, Inc.:
Established in 2008, Morinaga America, Inc. is the official distributor of HI-CHEW™, Chargel™ and FI-BEING™ in the United States. Morinaga America, Inc. (marketing and sales) and Morinaga America Foods, Inc. (manufacturing) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., which began in 1899 as the first, modern candy maker and producer of chocolates in Japan. In 2015, Morinaga America, Inc. opened its first United States manufacturing facility in North Carolina. With over 200 flavors of HI-CHEW™ having debuted in Japan, Morinaga America, Inc. has introduced the United States market to the best of Japanese confectionery.
About HI-CHEW™:
The history of Morinaga stretches back over a century when company founder Taichiro Morinaga brought his candy-making skills to Japan from America in the 1800s. HI-CHEW™ has long been the best-selling soft candy in Japan and continues to see year-over-year growth throughout other parts of Asia and in the United States. In the United States, HI-CHEW™ is currently offered in sticks, peg bags, and stand-up pouches. The HI-CHEW™ sticks come in a variety of flavors including Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, Grape, Banana, Kiwi, Açaí, and Sweet & Sour Watermelon. HI-CHEW™ also offers peg bags in the following flavors: Original Mix, Tropical Mix, Superfruit Mix, Sweet & Sour Mix, Soda Pop Mix, Berry Mix, Plus Fruit, Fantasy Mix and new Reduced Sugar. The Stand-Up Pouches are available in Original Mix, Tropical Mix, Sweet and Sour Mix, Fruit Combos, and Infrusions Orchard Mix. HI-CHEW™ is made with concentrated fruit juices and is free of gluten, with no colors from synthetic sources. HI-CHEW™ continues to expand fruity, chewy flavor offerings annually. In 2020, HI-CHEW™ won a Nielsen Design Impact Award for its new Original Mix packaging update that hit shelves in 2019. For more information, visit HI-CHEW.com.
About Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt:
Menchie’s is North America’s largest self-serve frozen yogurt franchise. With more than 350 stores, the franchise has locations open in the United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico. Guaranteeing happiness in every cup, the brand offers guests premium rotating yogurt flavors and delicious toppings for unlimited combinations in every bite. The proprietary collection is made from the milk of “happy” California cows, which have not been treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST). Menchie’s frozen yogurt contains live and active cultures and has received the Live and Active Culture (LAC) seal indicating its endorsement by the National Yogurt Association. Menchie’s also offers decadent vegan and dairy-free flavors, as well as gluten-free flavors, ensuring its commitment to offering something for everyone.