A number of food companies have recently 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 Oct. 12. The filing revealed that the brand plans to expand into NFTs, digital tokens, virtual goods, NFT marketplaces, virtual food, drink and restaurants.

The trademark application suggested that 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.

On Oct. 6, the popular food brand and fast food chain, In-N-Out Burger filed a similar trademark application with plans to operate an online retail store featuring virtual goods; namely, food, beverages and merchandise associated with the brand for use in online virtual worlds.

According to the trademark application, In-N-Out Burger plans to 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.”

Related: McDonald’s starts to accept Bitcoin and Tether in Swiss town

On Oct. 10, Mike Kondoudis also reported that Del Monte Foods had filed eight trademark applications for its underlying brands "Del Monte" and "The Del Monte Sheild," with plans to create NFTs, NFT-backed media, online virtual marketplaces, virtual restaurants, stores, foods and drinks.

The trademark application also disclosed that Del Monte Foods intends to expand into the Web3 software space. According to the application, the brand will 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.”

In September, Cointelegraph reported that the number of U.S. trademarks filed related to cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), Web3 and the Metaverse has grown exponentially within the past year.