Food-related brands have been eyeing Web3 and its potential to connect, interact and add value for customers. Earlier this year, Chipotle and Wendy's launched virtual restaurants where customers can receive codes for real food.
Following suit, a number of food companies have also begun to position themselves within the Web3 ecosystem by filing trademark applications for the Metaverse and nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
Licensed trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis shared in a tweet that Kraft Foods Group had filed a trademark for its iconic hot dog-shaped Weinermobile on October 12th. The filing revealed that the brand plans to expand into NFTs, digital tokens, virtual goods, NFT marketplaces, virtual food, drink and restaurants. Kraft Foods Group also has plans to operate a virtual restaurant, as well as feature virtual goods for home delivery in both real and virtual worlds.
Popular food brand and fast food chain, In-N-Out Burger filed a similar trademark application to operate an online retail store featuring virtual goods; namely, food, beverages and merchandise associated with the brand for use in online virtual worlds. Here, the popular fast food joint will provide "temporary use of online non-downloadable software for users to access, transmit, exchange and establish ownership of virtual goods, blockchain tokens, nonfungible tokens, digital media, digital files, and digital assets in the field of food, beverages, restaurants and merchandise."
Other than that, Del Monte Foods has also filed for eight trademark applications for its underlying brands "Del Monte" and "The Del Monte Shield," with plans to create NFTs, NFT-backed media, online virtual marketplaces, virtual restaurants, stores, foods and drinks. There is intention for Del Monte Foods to also expand into the Web3 software space to produce "software for uploading, transmitting, publishing, storing, managing, verifying, authenticating, and communicating digital currency, crypto-collectibles, digital tokens, digital files, images, sound recordings, video recordings, virtual objects and virtual products and services.
To no surprise, the world's largest restaurant chain, McDonald's, have also ebraced technological transformation. Besides honing technology for Artificial Intelligence, the Golden Arches have also step foot into the metaverse to explore "next level" virtual platforms where users can interact with each other in immersive, persistent environments. It has plans to allow hungry virtual reality gamers to walk in their virtual restaurants and place orders without putting down their headsets, while virtual burgers would be prepared by a brick-and-mortar McDonald's to be delivered to your doorstep.