Variety Power of Comedy Awards at SXSW Featuring Exclusive Food Collaborations and Nine Comedy Icons

Comedic legends and some of the biggest names in food are joining forces at this year’s Variety Power of Comedy event. Inspire Brands, a company that owns a diverse range of restaurants, including Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC Drive-In, has announced that it will be the sole sponsor of this year’s event, which will take place on March 10 at The Creek & The Cave in Austin, Texas, during the SXSW Festival.

This year’s Variety Power of Comedy event promises to be particularly exciting, as Inspire Brands will be debuting nine exclusive food and drink items to honor the nine comedic performers who will be receiving awards throughout the night. This marks the first time that Inspire Brands restaurants have collaborated to create never-before-seen food and drink combinations, using ingredients from multiple restaurants across their portfolio.

Some of the exciting food and drink offerings that guests can look forward to include the Spit Roasted Gyro Tots, featuring crispy Tater Tots from SONIC Drive-In, loaded with Arby’s Gyro Meat, Cheese, and Tzatziki Sauce. Other items on the menu include a Chicken & Waffle Ice Cream Cup, featuring Baskin-Robbins Chick’n & Waffle Ice Cream topped with a Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wing in their NEW Honey Garlic Sauce. And for those who are looking for something a little more savory, there’s the Roasted “Elote” Style Corndog, featuring Buffalo Wild Wings Roasted Green Chili Queso, Chipotle Lime Crema, Jimmy Peppers, Cilantro Corn, Buffalo Wild Wings Cotija, and smoked Paprika, all topped on a delicious SONIC Drive-In mini corn dog bite.

Rita Patel, Chief Marketing Officer at Arby’s, expressed her excitement about the upcoming event, saying, “We are thrilled to be a part of Variety Power of Comedy. Only Inspire Brands can do something like this at SXSW. On behalf of all the marketing leads, we are excited to showcase our innovative culinary teams with an exclusive menu of food and beverage mashups across six iconic brands: Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC Drive-In.”

Hosted by Mike Lawrence and Nick Thune, Variety Power of Comedy will award comedic performers for their outstanding achievements across stand-up, film, TV, and digital platforms. This year’s honorees include Eric Andre, Phoebe Robinson, Jake Johnson, Tim Robinson & Zach Kanin, Rachel Sennott, Anna Kendrick, Patton Oswalt, and Chelsea Handler. With such an impressive lineup of performers and an equally impressive menu of food and drink, this year’s event is sure to be one for the books.