Crawfish Season Comes to Newk’s With a Fresh Catch of Seasonal Dishes

Newk’s Eatery Celebrates National Soup Month with Soul-Warming, Kettle Batch Soups

Fresh new down-home comfort foods are on the menu at Newk’s Eatery this winter and spring with the debut of succulent crawfish to the brand’s flavorful seasonal lineup. From January 4 to April 10, guests will be able to get their ‘craw-fix’ for the first time at Newk’s restaurants with the new Crawfish Pizza, Crawfish Mac and Cheese and Crawfish Pimiento Mac and Cheese. Along with the return of the beloved Spicy Sicilian Pizza and the Red Quinoa and Kale Salad, Newk’s is also warming souls with a dozen slow-simmered, homemade soups ready just in time for National Soup Month in January.

“This season, we’re getting in touch with Newk’s Mississippi roots by introducing a true Southern delicacy to our menu,” said Alan Wright, Newk’s Eatery’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Crawfish is uniquely Southern— it rings of home cooking, low country boils and soul food that satisfies to the core. That’s the flavor we’re after with these new dishes—fresh, authentic Deep Southern fare with a contemporary culinary twist.”

Lightly seasoned for a fresh take on the Southern favorite, Newk’s crawfish line features savory crawfish that are hot baked for a clean, crisp flavor— offering the perfect counterpart to the rich, creamy ingredient blends of Newk’s new Crawfish Pizza and Crawfish Mac and Cheese entrées. Built on a velvety, house-made Rémoulade dressing base, Newk’s Crawfish Pizza is layered with freshly-grated Gouda and provolone cheeses, along with a generous portion of crawfish, ripened red and yellow bell peppers, tender artichoke hearts, diced red onions, green onions and crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy finish. The pizza offers a playful cross between Deep Southern cuisine and light coastal flavors with an undertone that is both addictingly tangy and peppery.

Taking Newk’s popular Mac and Cheese dishes to the next level, both the new Crawfish Mac and Cheese and Crawfish Pimiento Mac and Cheese recipes are loaded with tender bites of crawfish tossed with the chain’s signature five-cheese macaroni blend, then topped with green onions and fresh-shredded cheddar to round out the entrees’ decadent, creamy flavor for a go-to comfort food this winter. Along with Asiago, Vermont white cheddar, yellow cheddar, imported Parmesan and Ammerländer Swiss cheeses, the Crawfish Pimiento Mac and Cheese also throws Newk’s famous homemade pimiento cheese into the mix for more of that country cooking feel and flavor guests crave.

Newk’s is feeding guests’ comfort cravings further with a dozen soul-warming, kettle batch soups available throughout National Soup Month this January until April 3, making Newk’s Eatery the ultimate soup stop this winter. Rotating on a daily basis, Newk’s soup line includes slow-simmered brews like Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, White Bean and Kale, Lobster Crab Bisque, Chicken Tortilla, Corn and Crab Chowder, Hoppin’ John and more. Newk’s 600-Calorie Menu also features many of these seasonal soup favorites for lean yet hearty eating.

“Soups are a central part of Newk’s menu and have been since we first opened our doors in 2004,” said Wright. “It’s the best kind of comfort food— warm, nourishing and chocked full of flavor. At Newk’s, we have a daily rotation of soups ranging from creamy vegetarian purees and premium seafood blends to hearty stews inspired by flavors throughout the region. There is a soup for everyone, and you can get it on the go, on the side or as a stand-alone meal.”

Newk’s is also bringing back the heat with the return of its Spicy Sicilian Pizza— an Italian classic that is piled high with imported hot capicola, pepperoni and spicy salami. Topped with red pepper flakes, house-roasted chili oil, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and provolone cheeses and garnished with capers and green onions, this pizza is the perfect way to spice up the winter months. But Newk’s is also warming souls and palates by bringing back a wholesome, superfood-enriched salad to help make New Year’s resolutions all that much easier to keep. Newk’s Red Quinoa and Kale Salad is packed with three superfood ingredients: protein-rich red quinoa, antioxidant-laden cranberries and the all-star of superfoods— fresh kale. Tossing it all with a robust mix of edamame, pecans and house-made apricot ginger vinaigrette—made with zesty, hand-peeled ginger and apricot preserves— the end result is a salad that packs a powerful health punch while tasting as good as it feels.

Guests can enjoy the Crawfish Pizza for $11.99, the Crawfish Mac and Cheese for $9.99 and the Crawfish Pimiento Mac and Cheese for $10.99. Meanwhile, the Spicy Sicilian Pizza is available for $8.99 and the Red Quinoa and Kale Salad for $9.99. Additionally, diners can warm up with a cup of soup for $3.99 and a bowl of soup for $6.99.

For more information about Newk’s Eatery or to view Newk’s menu, visit Newks.com or Newk’s Facebook. Also, visit Newk’s website to check out the flavorful 600-Calorie Menu.

Based in Jackson, Miss., Newk’s Eatery is leading the next generation of fast-casual with its culinary-driven menu prepared in Newk’s open-view kitchens, featuring made-from-scratch soups, fresh tossed salads, artisan pizzas, hot toasted sandwiches and desserts. Founded in 2004, Newk’s currently operates and franchises 95 units in 13 states and is gaining national attention for its accelerated growth and commitment to community. FastCasual.com has named Newk’s one of its top 20 “Movers and Shakers,” while Franchise Times magazine ranked Newk’s among its top Fast and Serious franchise brands and Technomic listed Newk’s among its top 50 U.S. fast-casual chains. The brand was also recently named among “The Next 20” by Nation’s Restaurant News and one of QSR magazine’s “Best Franchise Deals.” For more information, visit Newks.com, join the Roundtable Club or follow Newk’s on Facebook and Twitter.