Wingstop is bringing back its hot honey rub for the first time since its debut in July 2023. The hot honey dry rub features a sweet flavor combined with cayenne pepper and ancho chili.

White Castle has brought back its shrimp nibblers and sriracha shrimp nibblers for a limited time. The nibblers are bite-size butterfly shrimp, which are coated in a seasoned batter and then fried.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) debuted its first seasonal menu of 2024. Coming back to menus at CPK is the Korean BBQ steak pizza, the miso shrimp salad, and the Tito ‘rita.

“CPK has a reputation for innovation, and we’re excited to be setting a record with six limited time launches this year,” said Paul Pszybylski, vice president of culinary innovation at CPK. “I’m personally excited for the return of the Korean BBQ steak pizza. Back by popular demand, the pizza is a fun twist on the classic BBQ style pizza CPK has been making for nearly 40 years.”

Sweetgreen is testing its first-ever steak option. The caramelized garlic steak will be featured in the caramelized garlic steak protein plate, the steakhouse chopped bowl and the cake Caesar steak salad. The steak is made with cuts of grass-fed sirloin steak that has been finished with slow-roasted caramelized garlic and onions.

“Sweetgreen is known for combining simple, well-sourced ingredients with in-house culinary skill to bring our guests the best tasting food,” said Chef Chad Brauze, head of culinary. “The key ingredient in our test menu is the premium, super-tender tri-tip steak that we toss with perfectly caramelized, house-roasted garlic and onions. Our new caramelized garlic steak will take any of our plates, bowls, and salads to the next level.”

Red Lobster Seafood Co. is bringing back its Lobsterfest, which offers a variety of lobster-centric dishes. New to this year’s Lobsterfest is the Crispy Lobster and Shrimp Stack, the Lobster and Shrimp Lover’s Dream, Dueling Southern tails and the Lobster Lover’s Duo.

“With even more craveable dishes, it’s the perfect way to treat yourself and the ones you love,” said Sara Bittorf, chief experience officer at Red Lobster. “Whether you are dining with friends, family, or a significant other, this year’s lineup includes a delicious variety of new and signature items you'll want to explore like one of our most popular, the Lobster Lover's Dream.”

MOD Super-Fast Pizza Holdings added a limited-edition red velvet cake with cream cheese filling that is topped with heart-shaped sprinkles.

“Our Red Velvet No Name Cake is a decadent, craveable treat that is the perfect combination of rich, creamy and sweet,” said Scott Uehlein, vice president of culinary excellence and innovation at MOD. “With Valentine’s Day coming up and spring fast approaching, it is a great way to finish a meal at MOD.”

Krispy Kreme added its Valentine’s Day collection, “Dough-Notes.” The collection features four flavors:

• “You color my world” donut: a heart-shaped donut filled with cake batter Kreme, dipped in red colored icing and a rainbow heart sprinkle blend.
• “I love you a choco-lot” donut: a heart-shaped donut filled with chocolate Kreme, dipped in chocolate icing and topped with a piped rose.
• “You’re berry sweet” donut: a heart-shaped donut filled with chocolate Kreme, dipped in strawberry icing and sprinkles.
• “Without you I’d crumble” donut: a heart-shaped donut filled with a cookie dough Kreme filling, dipped in chocolate icing and a chocolate chip cookie crumble.

“People aren’t just craving delicious donuts, they crave connection, and our new collection satisfies both needs,” said Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme. “A dozen Valentine’s Day donuts in our custom Dough-Notes dozens box is the perfect gesture to show someone special in your life how much you love and care about them.”

Sonic Drive-In launched the Reba Sweetheart Meal through a partnership with American country music singer Reba McEntire. The Sweetheart Meal features the new chocolate covered strawberry shake, a cheeseburger and tater tots.

IHOP launched its Pancake of the Month program with its first offering: chocolate strawberry pancakes. The pancakes, inspired by Valentine’s Day, feature four chocolate chocolate chip pancakes, topped with cheesecake mousse and drizzled with chocolate sauce, sliced strawberries, whipped topping and chocolate chips. The Pancake of the Month program will highlight a new flavor each month, available as a fill stack, a side, or a pancake combo.

“IHOP is the leader in breakfast, and this program demonstrates our continued efforts and commitment to innovation by providing guests with new ways to try classic favorites and menu trends,” said Chef Arthur Carl II, vice president of culinary at IHOP. “With Pancake of the Month, our culinary team got creative in the kitchen, and developed a lineup of new flavors that brings IHOP’s world-famous pancakes to guests in a fresh way. We had a lot of fun creating the Pancake of the Month flavors and think our guests are going to love trying the new stacks each month.”

Sonic Drive-In is launching new menu items inspired by barbecue, including the pulled pork BBQ cheeseburger, pulled pork BBQ totchos and the pulled pork sandwich.

“The passion for barbecue among our guests fueled the drive to put our own spin on these craveable favorites,” said Mackenzie Gibson, vice president of culinary and menu innovation at Sonic. “We’re always pushing the boundaries and finding new ways to take fan-favorite items, like our cheeseburgers and tots, to the next level. These new items are a harmony of BBQ’s best flavors, proving BBQ really does make everything better.”