04
Jun
2024
Limited-time offerings are tapping into consumer trends.
Chick-fil-A added a new seasonal entrée for the summer, the maple pepper bacon sandwich, and is also bringing back its peach milkshake. First tested in Indianapolis and Lexington, Ky., in 2o23, the maple pepper bacon sandwich features a lemon herb-marinated and grilled chicken breast, served on a toasted maple-flavored brioche bun, with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, pepper and brown-sugar tossed bacon and sweet and spicy pickles.
Sonic Drive-In debuted an orange Cloudsicle slush float and a cheesy bacon stack cheeseburger for the summer.
The orange Cloudsicle slush float is a blend of orange Cloudsicle-flavored slush and orange vanilla flavor bubbles, topped with a creamy soft serve.
The cheesy bacon stack cheeseburger features a seasoned beef patty, topped with bacon, two slices of American cheese, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, ketchup, mayo and served on Texas toast.
“Knowing orange cream would be a major trending flavor for summer treats this year, we were inspired to create the perfectly sweet and tangy orange Cloudsicle slush float for our fans,” said Mackenzie Gibson, vice president of culinary and menu innovation at Sonic. “For guests who are looking for something heartier to fuel their summer adventures, the cheesy bacon Sonic stack is a craveable, unique addition to our cheeseburger selection that’s packed with flavor.”
Taco Bell partnered with Kellanova’s Cheez-It brand to launch the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme and Big Cheez-It tostada. As part of the collaboration, the companies have sized up a Cheez-It cracker to 16 times its normal size.
The Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme features seasoned beef, nacho cheese, lettuce, reduced-fat sour cream and diced tomatoes, and instead of a typical tostada shell, a Big Cheez-It cracker, all wrapped in a grilled tortilla. The Big Cheez-It tostada features a Big Cheez-It cracker, topped with seasoned beef, diced tomatoes, lettuce, shredded cheese and reduced-fat sour cream.
Dunkin’ is looking to “capture the taste of summer” with the introduction of several new seasonal beverages, including the watermelon refresher, blueberry donut iced coffee and vanilla frosted donut signature latte. Dunkin’ is also adding a watermelon burst donut, which is filled with watermelon-flavored jelly and coated with sweet red sugar, and a green goddess wrap.
“Summer is a time for discovery and delight, and at Dunkin’, we’re embracing that spirit with our vibrant new menu,” said Beth Turenne, vice president of category management at Dunkin’. “We’ve turned familiar favorites into innovative drinks and added exciting new food items to our menu, making sure our customers have what they need to power through their day.”
KFC launched a new menu item for a limited time: Chizza, which is pronounced “cheet-za.” The menu addition features two fried chicken filets, topped with marinara sauces, melted mozzarella and pepperoni. Chizza first debuted on KFC menus in the Philippines in 2015, and has moved to menus in South Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Germany, Spain and Mexico, among others, and it’s debuting in the United States for the first time.
Casey’s expanded with the addition of a barbecue pulled pork pizza. The summer-inspired pizza features pulled pork, bacon, cheddar cheese, red onion and thick cut pickles.
“Casey’s new barbecue pulled pork pizza exemplifies the unexpected food innovation we continue to deliver to our guests, emphasizing the surprising reality that you can get a delicious meal with fresh ingredients and bold flavors from a convenience store,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s. “As the nation’s fifth largest pizza chain, Casey’s continues to deliver the combinations our guests crave, and this time it’s the sweet and savory tastes you'd expect from a summer barbecue.”
7-Eleven leaned into summer with new sweet and spicy products. The convenience chain debuted a mangonada donut, inspired by the Mexican drink of the same name, which features a honeymooner donut, filled with a mixture of mango and chamoy and topped with Tajin. 7-Eleven also added a limited-edition peach candy lemonade Slurpee drink, inspired by gummi peach rings.
“It's our favorite time of year – Slurpee drink season – and we're looking forward to bringing our customers innovative new flavors all summer long, like the new peach candy lemonade flavor,” said Dennis Phelps, senior vice president, merchandising (vault and proprietary beverages) at 7-Eleven.
Whataburger has added a caramel latte shake, which includes espresso, caramel and vanilla, to its menu.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers added a limited-edition dessert to its menus, the Twix salted caramel concrete. The new concrete features vanilla frozen concrete blended with chopped Twix Cookie bars, crushed pretzels and a caramel sauce.
Recent launches prioritize fan-favorite flavors.
Limited-time offerings are tapping into consumer trends.