According to recent patent filings, Yum! Brands wants to bring its famous fast-food chains into the metaverse. On March 25th, Yum! Brands filed metaverse patents to protect the rights to Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. These new patents include four key points, each of which hints at Yum! Brands’ Web3 ambitions.
The first sections of Yum! Brands’ patents focus on food and drink NFTs. However, it doesn’t appear Yum! Brands is solely interested in creating virtual food for in-game avatars.
While this first section protects digital menu items, it also suggests Yum! wants to use NFTs for promotions and customer rewards programs. The patent says these NFTs could be “redeemed for or used towards the purchase of food, drink, and restaurant services” in virtual and physical settings.
Second, Yum! signaled it wants to create a virtual store where customers could purchase digital items, services, and NFTs. It also suggests that this new online marketplace will integrate with a loyalty points system.
The third section in Yum! Brands’ applications focus on “entertainment services.” Specifically, Yum! is interested in organizing live events in the metaverse. This paragraph also suggests that Yum! is working on video games and a “virtual currency” that will link with customers’ rewards points.
Lastly, Yum! signaled it wants to create digital restaurants for KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell in the metaverse. Interestingly, these metaverse eateries may correspond to locations in the physical world. According to the newly released documents, customers may be able to order IRL home delivery from Yum! Brands’ metaverse locations.
There’s no word on whether Yum! Brands will pursue similar metaverse trademarks for its smaller Habit Burger Grill chain.
The “Fast Food Wars” Have Entered Web3
Fast food restaurants are amongst the “fastest” adopters of NFTs and metaverse technologies. For instance, Rarity Sniper recently discovered that Wendy’s will open a metaverse store on April 2nd in Horizon Worlds. People who visit Wendy’s virtual restaurant could win free food at physical restaurant locations.
McDonald’s is also jumping head-first into the metaverse. A few months ago, the “Golden Arches” sent ten patents related to NFTs and metaverse technology to the US Patent & Trademark Office.
More recently, McDonald’s worked with designer Humberto Leon to create a VR Lunar Day celebration. Visitors to McDonald’s “Hall of Zodiacs” could see virtual statues of the different Zodiac animals and read their fortune for the upcoming year. McD’s “Hall of Zodiacs” lasted from January 31st till February 15th on the platforms AltspaceVR and Spacial.
Yum!, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s are just a few of the most prominent fast-food restaurants that have expressed interest in the metaverse. Other high-profile brands that want to get more involved with Web3 include:
- Burger King
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Jimmy John’s
- Hooters
- Sonic
- Dunkin’
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Wawa
- Chipotle
- Arby’s