Thomas’ Takes Inspiration From ‘Seinfeld’ for Their Latest Muffin Offering

Thomas’ is taking a little inspiration from Seinfeld by adding Elaine Benes’ favorite part of the muffin to its ever-expanding lineup of English muffins and bagels. The fan-favorite brand kicked off the start of May by officially rolling out its latest innovation, Muffin Tops.

Now available at select retailers, Muffin Tops are exactly what they sound like – the top portion of the muffin. According to Chew Boom, Muffin Tops are described as a mess-free, portable breakfast or snack option. Muffin Tops are available in Blueberry Oat and Chocolate Chip varieties at retailers throughout the Southeast and carry a suggested price of $5.79 for a package of six. Thomas’ did not indicate if there were plants to eventually roll out the new item nationwide.

It remains to be seen if the new item will prove a success or will ultimately be an unpopular pick among consumers, just like the muffin tops in Seinfeld were. Fans of the sitcom will recall that the idea of only selling the top portion of muffins was pitched by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Elaine Benes on Seinfeld in the 1997 episode aptly titled “The Muffin Tops.” In the ’90s sitcom, Elaine, obsessed over just the tops of the muffins, opened a shop called Top of the Muffin to You! The business, however, ultimately failed when Elaine and her co-founder couldn’t find a solution for what to do with the bottom half of the treat.

This is far from the first time a brand has taken inspiration from that beloved episode. Back in 2018, McDonald’s briefly tested “Muffin Toppers,” or muffins without their bottom half. Speaking to TMZ at the time, Seinfeld writer Spike Feresten, who wrote “The Muffin Tops” episode, joked, “What took so long? When I heard McDonald’s was doing it… what I thought about was the money!” Feresten hasn’t responded to the newest iteration of Muffin Tops.

As for Thomas’, the brand has more than just Muffin Tops up its sleeve. In addition to the limited-scale rollout of Muffin Tops, Thomas’ announced on May 1 that it is also brining back Maple French Toast English Muffins. The beloved item, which is available for a limited time at grocery stores nationwide, features the rich, warm taste of maple syrup. Maple French Toast English Muffins carry a suggested price of $4.79 per six-count package.