SINGAPORE, Aug 23 — The hottest food flex in the Little Red Dot today isn’t just about getting the first bite of a new menu, but also about snagging the limited-edition merchandise that comes with it.

Packaged like blind boxes, these collectibles – from keychains and sling bags to plushies inspired by Jellycat toys – have become must-haves for fans, The Straits Times reported today.

The Singapore newspaper said that in January, KFC Singapore’s collaboration with Japanese brand Mofusand saw a frenzy for fried chicken-themed cat plushies, while Milo plushies emptied supermarket shelves in April.

Milo teased fans again on August 22 with an Instagram post captioned “Coming Soon,” sparking speculation of another rush.

KFC Singapore’s director of marketing and food innovation Jaslyn Lam said its KFC x Mofusand release was the chain’s biggest drop yet.

“There’s anticipation that builds around each product drop, creating conversations and excitement that brings fans together,” she was quoted as saying.

The trend isn’t just for global fast-food giants, but also new entrants like Malaysian tea chain Beutea, whose blind-box drink plushies sold out in three days last month across five outlets.

Beutea Singapore director Shawn Ching said the plushies were only available with drink purchases, and the chain will continue tying merchandise to launches, including its new City Square Mall outlet opening on August 30.

Older brands are joining the game too, with Katong’s 100-year-old Chin Mee Chin Confectionery releasing T-shirts and keychains for its anniversary. 

“Merch lives on long after the meal ends,” Lim Kian Chun, co-founder of the Ebb & Flow Group which manages the café, told the daily.

Starbucks and McDonald’s remain industry leaders, with Starbucks’ Sanrio and Mofusand collaborations selling out instantly and McDonald’s seeing its collectibles community shift online from the Hello Kitty craze of 2000.

“Today, that same enthusiasm has shifted online, with customers sharing unboxings, posting their collections and even trading items,” a McDonald’s spokesman told The Straits Times.