Article

50 menu additions perfect for fall

While some restaurants are capitalizing on the pumpkin craze, others are challenging the status quo and releasing seemingly unrelated menu items this fall.

November 3, 2016 by Matthew Harper — Intern, Networld Media Group

Ah, the season of fall. The joy, the bonfires, the family times, the earthy smell of pumpkin pie and hot chocolate with little marshmallows. Restaurants know that this season is prime for grabbing the taste buds of customers, and while many concepts are capitalizing on the pumpkin craze, others are challenging the status quo and releasing seemingly unrelated menu items this fall.

Check out how several limited-service restaurants are embracing the flavors of the season.

Qdoba
The fast casual Mexican concept has added two Queso flavors — Buffalo Bacon Queso and Queso Verde — to its fall menu.

"We know our guests love Queso, and we can't wait to hear what they think of the Queso additions first-hand," said Fernando Torres, director of Brand Communications.

Biscuitville
Biscuitville is celebrating the fall season by offering a Spicy Chicken and Honey Biscuit, according to a press release.

"It pairs our exclusive spice-blend with delicious, locally-produced honey for a one-of-a-kind flavor experience," said Burney Jennings, chief executive officer of Biscuitville. "This product exemplifies our commitment to supporting local family businesses and high-quality ingredients, and we're excited to share this unique biscuit with our guests."

Biscuitville collaborated with Golding Farms, the oldest honey manufacturing company in North Carolina, to create the unique flavor, according to the release.

The flavor is available at all Biscuitville locations until December.

Subway
Subway is now serving Honest Kids juice drinks, which is USDA certified organic, according to a press release.

"We're thrilled to have Honest Kids join the SUBWAY Fresh Fit for Kids' Meal menu as part of their new lineup of nutritious kids offerings," said Ami Mathur, Honest Tea's General Manager, Brand Marketing. "Joining forces with SUBWAY restaurants is a huge milestone for the Honest Kids brand, and we're looking forward to increasing access to organic products with simple ingredients in the Foodservice Channel as consumer demand continues to grow."

The company is also offering three new fall menu items, including the Autumn Carved Turkey Sandwich and Apple Pie and Pumpkin Spice cookies.

Backyard Burgers
To celebrate in true fall fashion, Back Yard Burgers released the Autumn Turkey Burger, the Turtle Milkshake and the Pecan Cobbler, both of which are available through Nov. 20, according to a release.

"Our turkey burgers and fresh-baked cobbler have been guest favorites for years," said David McDougall, CEO of Back Yard Burgers. "But we are excited to offer these delicious, seasonal options to bring a Fall 'feel' and Thanksgiving spirit to our better-than-ever menu.

Wahlburgers

Wahlburgers has added two spicy seasonal offerings to its menu: The Fiesta Burger and The Fall Chicken Salad, according to a press release.The menu items will be available for a limited time at two Boston locations in Hingham and Lynnfield and Coney Island in New York, along with Philadelphia, Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas.

Boudin Bakery
Boudin Bakery's new LTOs include the Turkey Melt, Jalapeno Pulled Pork Melt and Moroccan Salad, according to a press release.

"Our new seasonal offerings draw from a variety of unique, distinctive ingredients," said Alan Skversky, Boudin SF's corporate chef. "Each menu item has something special – whether it's our fan-favorite Jalapeno Cheddar bread on our Pulled Pork Melt, house-made Za'atar spiced multigrain croutons in the Moroccan salad or the sweet and tangy cranberry Dijon spread that melts into our own Multigrain bread on our Turkey Melt. It's what truly makes each of these craveable."

The Turkey Melt and the Jalapeno Pulled Pork Melt each cost $8.99 and the Moroccan Salad is $9.79.

The Kati Roll Company
The Calcutta and street-cart concept released the Kosha Mangsho, a kati roll featuring slow-cooked goat on the bone, as well as Mishti Doi, a popular Bangladesh dessert.

Taco Bell
Taco Bell added Rolled Chicken Tacos to its menu, along with five dipping sauces: Nacho Cheese Sauce, Premium Guacamole, Salsa, Reduced-Fat Sour Cream and Spicy Ranch, according to a press release. The 12-pack combo costs $10.99.

Bojangles
For a limited time, Bojangles' "Cheddar Ham Bo" will be available, according to a press release.

"Cheddar Bo has been a favorite among Bojangles' fans since it started as a limited time offering years ago in Eastern North Carolina and Virginia," said Randy Poindexter, Senior VP of Marketing at Bojangles', according to the release. "We think a slice of our country ham added to Cheddar Bo creates a delightful biscuit that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner — or as a mighty good snack!"

Dunkin’ Donuts
The chain is ringing in the return of the holidays with a lineup of treats, according to a company press release. They include:

Creme Brulee macchiatos, lattes and coffees.
Peppermint Mocha macchiatos, lattes and coffees.
Salted Caramel macchiatos, lattes and coffees.
Candy Cane Crunch Donut, a yeast donut with vanilla flavored buttercreme filling, topped with white icing and crushed candy cane pieces.
Boston Kreme Croissant Donut, a glazed croissant donut filled with Bavarian creme and finished with a chocolate icing drizzle.
Sweet Black Pepper Bacon Breakfast Sandwich, a combination of sweet and savory featuring egg, a slice of American cheese and four strips of bacon coated in a brown sugar and black pepper seasoning served on a croissant.

Starbucks
The coffee giant is adding its first new oatmeal flavor in three years. The Dark Chocolate and Caramelized Banana Oatmeal starts with traditional oatmeal that is topped with a slow-kettle cooked banana compote and a mixture of single-origin Columbian dark chocolate, roasted almonds and salted toffee, according to a company press release.

The chain is also offering:

Caramelized Apple Pound Cake
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin
Pumpkin Scone
Pumpkin Iced Sugar Cookie
Bantam Bagels

Villa Italian Kitchen
The QSR concept has created a new pizza, the Sriracha Stromboli, according to a press release.

"We are excited to bring Sriracha, one of the hottest trends in the food industry, to Villa Italian Kitchen locations nationwide," Leslie Chinea, director of Marketing for Villa Restaurant Group, said in the release.

Green Burrito/Carl's Jr.
Green Burrito announced an overhaul to its menu, adding new ingredients, charbroiling all chicken and steak offerings and serving new sides, according to a press release.

"With this new menu, you'll never again have to wait for a table at a local taqueria to satisfy your cravings for an authentic Southwestern meal," said Eric Williams, chief operating officer for Carl's Jr. and Green Burrito. "We even serve authentic Coca-Cola de Mexico made with cane sugar and sold in retro glass bottles."

PDQ
PDQ's new Honey Butter Sandwich is now available at the South Tampa PDQ for a limited time.

Sonic
Sonic added a new Blast Flavor Funnel to its menu — the Holiday Pecan Pie Flavor Funnel, according to a press release.

"Our introduction of Flavor Funnels in August gave our guests more ways to customize their favorite SONIC Blast to create the ultimate dessert experience," Scott Uehlein, VP of product innovation & development for Sonic, said in the release. "The holidays are the perfect time for a SONIC spin on Pecan Pie, which is our Holiday Pecan Pie Flavor Funnel. Adding the flavors of toasted pecans, pecan pie filling and buttery pie crust to a Soniic Blast with chocolate flavor funnel, we’ve put our own twist to a quintessential holiday favorite."

The new item will available for a limited time, according to the release.

Stevi B's
The fast casual pizza buffet has launched an updated winter menu, titled "Gather Round the Table," and included new options, including Chicken Parmesan pizza, Chicken Alfredo Baked pasta and the Cranberry Oatmeal cookie, according to a press release. The menu items will be available until Dec. 31.

"At Stevi B’s we pride ourselves on providing a welcoming atmosphere that brings families together to enjoy an all-you-can-eat assortment of the best-quality ingredients, and the Gather Round the Table menu offers just that this holiday season," said Jennifer Rotondo, chief marketing officer for Stevi B’s. "All of our new menu items are too delicious to be missed, and we are especially excited for the return of our Pepperoni-N-Cheese Pockets, which had our guests raving earlier this year."

The Chickery
The Chickery introduced a new menu item that team members created by deep frying rotisserie chickens in the restaurant’s signature batter, according to a press release.

"Rotisserie Fried Chicken so much more flavor than regular fried chicken…It’s so good I even want to eat the bones!" said Amjad Hantash, the brands director of operations.

Freshii
Freshii added a new breakfast category to its menu, according to a press release. From egg bowls to a smoothie bowl, its new items include the Cali Smoothie, Green Eggs & Kale and the Huevos bowl.

Nestle Toll House Café by Chip
Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip released its pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin spice cookies last month in its cafes around the nation, according to a press release.

"There's no doubt that we're best known for our Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies and specialty Nescafe Milano coffees, but pumpkin season gives us a chance to indulge in some special, distinctive flavors," Shawnon Bellah, COO of Crest Foods, the chain's franchisor. "Few seasonal treats are as delightful as our pumpkin spice lattes, unless, of course, you consider our scrumptious pumpkin spice cookies."

The two fall favorites will be available until Nov. 20.

Robeks
Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies added Healthy Holiday Indulgences to its menu, available until Dec. 31, according to a press release. The optionsinclude the Apple Orchard smoothie, the Shake Your Carrot Cake smoothie and the Pumpkin Harvest bowl.

"A lot of these flavors are normally associated with unhealthy indulgences, but our versions stay true to our brand by giving guests that holiday spice flavor while still being a healthy choice," Robeks' director of marketing, Matt Furman, said in the release. "This offers us an opportunity to take part in some of the popular and festive holiday flavors that we haven't experimented with much in the past."

Nekter Juice Bar
Pumpkin is in its prime at Nekter Juice Bar with the concept's Pumpkin Pie smoothie.

"With pumpkin spice becoming such a popular flavor the past several years, we wanted to recreate it the Nékter way, making it a drastically healthier option full of nutritional benefits with the same rich, sweet and comforting flavor that we all know so well," Alexis Schulze, co-founder, said in the release. "Nekter's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie has just seven natural ingredients that when blended without artificial ingredients or unnecessary sugars is a guilt-free treat with numerous health benefits. It keeps our guests refreshed and energized during the busy holiday season."

Nékter's 16-ounce Pumpkin Pie Smoothie offers 10 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, and will be available until Nov. 27, according to the release.

Food & Beverage

About Matthew Harper

Matthew Harper is in the Seminary Track program at Boyce College, and is nearing completion of his M.Div. at Southern Seminary He works at the campus writing center where he provides feedback and edits student papers. He interned in the editorial department at Networld Media Group for two years, and won a national award in a student short story competition. He attends and serves at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville and hopes to one day pursue ministry overseas.