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The neverending winter: 11 fast casuals hoping LTOs will keep customers coming back 'til warmer days

From hot chicken to shrimp alfredo pizza, below is a partial list of limited-time menu items keeping us full, warm and hopeful for a spring thaw.

February 28, 2019 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

If you feel like winter is never going to end, you are not alone. People all over the country have professed similar sentiments, including this editor, who is writing this as her 9-year-old son and his two besties "kill zombies" in the living room. It's the 11th day of missed school this year due to "inclement weather," and they're loud and always hungry.

Thankfully, there are a variety of fast casual brands that have prepared for this neverending cold front by spicing up their menus. From hot chicken to shrimp alfredo pizza, below is a partial list of limited-time menu items keeping us full, warm and hopeful for a spring thaw.

Piada Italian Street

Tis the season for staying indoors, getting warm around the fire — and hot in the kitchen — according to  Piada Italian Street Food, which is now serving hot fried chicken.
 
The crispy chicken, tossed in house-made chili oil made with paprika, garlic, cayenne, sugar and salt, is available until the end of March with the possibility to stick around longer, depending on Guest feedback

Piada Italian Street Food is now serving hot fried chicken.

Fatburger

Fatburger's latest LTO is the Frank's RedHot Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, now available at locations nationwide.
 
"We are thrilled to partner with Frank's RedHot and bring our fans a new offering to heat up the winter months," CEO Andy Wiederhorn, said in a company press release. "Frank's RedHot delivers the ideal heat to complement our delicious crispy chicken at Fatburger and we are confident that consumers will love this fiery addition to our menu."
 
Pokeworks

Pokeworks, in collaboration Chef Sheldon Simeon, an alumnus of Bravo's Top Chef and owner of Tin Roof in Maui, has created the Lava Bow, a fiery dish featuring hot ghost peppers with a Scoville spice rating of more than 1,000,000 units alongside Sriracha over choice of poke and topped with a Thai Chili and Chili Threads. 

To add to the eruption of heat and flavor, guests are encouraged to "build the burn" of their dish by choosing one of three house-made Lava sauce levels — mild (light), medium, or lava (heavy), according to a company press release.
 
"Now that we are in the final stretch of the colder winter months, we wanted to create something that would heat things up in preparation for spring," Simeon said. "Inspired by Hawaiian traditions and the goddess of volcanoes, we are thrilled to share the fresh, fiery flavors of the Lava Bowl with guests across the nation." 
 
Founded in 2015, Pokeworks has grown to 38 locations across the United States. 

Bruegger's Bagels

Bruegger's Bagels has added an LTO sandwich to the menu, which will be available through April. The Supernova Sandwich offers smoked Nova lox salmon, smashed avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, capers and onion & chive cream cheese on a Sesame Bagel.

"Our fans are telling us they want more ways to customize their favorite menu items to fit their lifestyle and dietary needs," Bruegger's Bagels President Tyler Ricks, said in the release. "By offering ingredients like egg whites, dairy-free Daiya Cream Cheeze Style Spread and avocado, we are giving them the chance to customize their diets to meet their nutrition needs.

Bruegger's is also ready to leave winter behind and is getting in the St. Patrick's Day spirit by offering green bagels March 15-17 at participating locations.

Also beginning March 7, guests can claim an offer at Brueggers.com for $2 off a Big Bagel Bundle, which includes 13 bagels, green or otherwise, plus two tubs of cream cheese. The coupon can be redeemed March 15-17 at participating locations. Availability of green bagels will be limited, so preorders are recommended.

Founded in 1983, Bruegger's Bagels is part of the Coffee & Bagel Brands family, which includes Caribou Coffee.

Rapid Fire Pizza

Shrimp Alfredo Pizza is back at Rapid Fired Pizza in honor of Lent, the observance between Ash Wednesday and Easter when some Christians do not eat meat on Fridays. 

"Lent is important to many people, so we wanted to make sure there were options that please our customers from all walks of life," Co-founder Ray Wiley said in a company press release.

Fatburger's latest LTO is the Frank's RedHot Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.

The Shrimp Alfredo Pizza is typically served on a thin crust with white alfredo sauce, mozzarella, sun-dried, tomatoes, a shake of The Bomb, shrimp, and a drizzle of pesto.  In addition to the Shrimp Alfredo option, Rapid Fired is adding Shrimp Scampi as a limited-time offer. It has a base of garlic butter and spinach followed by Parmesan cheese and shrimp.  

Rapid Fired Pizza was founded in 2015, in   Kettering, Ohio, and has 27 stores open across six states.

Noodles & Company 

Noodles & Company has added two shrimp-based LTOs the menu: Zucchini Shrimp Scampi, which is made with zucchini noodles and shrimp tossed in a light scampi sauce with roasted zucchini and Roma tomatoes, topped with Parmesan cheese, parsley, and fresh lemon and Penne Rosa with Shrimp. That dish includes penne noodles in spicy tomato cream sauce with shrimp, mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, spinach and Parmesan cheese.

"The new Zucchini Shrimp Scampi, available for a limited time, has a tangy, bold flavor and is chock-full of fresh vegetables with vitamins A, C and K," Nick Graff, executive chef at Noodles & Company, said in the release. "We continue to innovate at Noodles by creating exciting global flavors combined with better-for-you ingredients, which provide tasty and healthy options for any of our guests."
 
Both are available now, and NoodlesREWARDS guests will receive $2 off the regular price on Fridays from March 15 through April 19.

McAlister's Deli

Inspired by experts predicting that plant-based protein could represent one-third of overall protein by 2054, McAlister's Deli is testing a plant-based protein sandwich — Chimichurri Sandwich — in seven Chicago and seven Knoxville, Tennessee, locations.

Now through March 26, customers of those units may order the sandwich made with chimichurri marinated protein, balsamic onions, provolone cheese, chimichurri aioli, tomato, and spring mix on toasted ciabatta. In addition to the plant-based protein option, customers can also order it with chicken or roast beef for $8.99.

Gloria Jean's Coffee

Although Gloria Jean's Coffees is wrapping up its winter menu March on 10, customers have several more days to order winter LTOs including the Red Velvet Butter Rum Latte & Chiller, the German Chocolate Cake Cold Brew.
 
"Just like every day should begin with a great cup of coffee, every year should start off with a fresh set of goals; and this year we're raising the bar to offer our guests even more of the unique flavor combinations they crave," Sam Ferreira, president of Gloria Jean's Coffees, said in the release. Options include:

• Red Velvet Butter Rum Latte, which is made with espresso combined with steamed milk, red velvet powder and butter rum syrup, topped with whipped cream, drizzled with caramel sauce and served hot or iced.
• Red Velvet Butter Rum Chiller, blended with red velvet powder, cappuccino base and butter rum syrup, topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
• German Chocolate Cake Cold Brew, which is cold-brewed in small batches using German Chocolate Cake Whole Beans served over ice.
• The chain is also selling whole beans in  German Chocolate Cake and   Red Velvet Cupcake.

 Gloria Jean's has nearly 60 locations in the U.S. 
 

Tijuana Flats 

Available through March 10,  Tijuana Flats is selling its Fajita Quesadilla made from a pressed tortilla with fajita fillings — melted cheese, grilled onions, and green peppers, according to a company press release. It's topped with fresh jalapeños and includes the choice of blackened chicken or steak. The easy-to-devour combination is served with a side of pico, guac, sour cream, seasoned chips and unlimited options from Tijuana Flats' Hot Bar, which includes some of the hottest sauces in the world, said CEO Rick Van Warner.
Throughout the limited-time offering, guests can order the fajita quesadilla with blackened chicken for $7.99 or with steak for $8.99.  
 
Established in 1995, in Winter Park, Florida, Tijuana Flats has 134 locations in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia.

Pie Five

With an eye toward that customer who is perpetually torn between pizza and burgers, Pie Five has launched a Double Cheeseburger Pizza, featuring ground beef, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, red onions, ketchup, mustard and diced dill pickles, a news release said. 

"Pizza and cheeseburgers are two American staples that you can never go wrong with," Vice President of Marketing Christina Coy said in the release. "This delicious new pizza is packed full of all the typical ingredients you find on a burger and pairs perfectly with all five of Pie Five's crust options. We recommend trying it with ingredients you would add on a burger. Spice it up with jalapenos or Sriracha. Don't like mustard or ketchup? Then make it a barbeque burger pizza. We're not here to judge. Customize it like you customize your burger!"

The brand is also simultaneously launching a social media sweepstakes that prompts diners to put pictures of their burger pizzas on social media with the #gobunless tag. The LTO runs through April 14. 
 
Fresh&co

Fresh&co has launched a winter menu featuring the Impossible Pho Bowl made using Impossible meatballs, which are plant-based, nut-free, and dairy free, according to the release. It also contains zucchini noodles, organic mint, micro cilantro, green cabbage, scallions and is garnished with a lime wedge.  Other items on Fresh&co's winter menu include the Pho-nominal Zoodle Bowl, Pork Bahn Mi, Shanghai Chicken Salad, and Winter Quinoa Salad.
 
"We are constantly looking to elevate the fast-casual menu and our new menu items offer even more variety and flavors, especially to those seeking meat alternatives," CEO and Co-founder George Tenedios said in the release. "Partnering with Impossible Foods also allows us to evolve our sustainability practices as it generates less than an eighth of the greenhouse gas emissions required to produce the same quantity of ground beef from cows and has a much smaller environmental footprint."   
 
Founded in 2010, and franchising since 2018, Fresh&co has 18 locations throughout New York. 

Cover photo: iStock

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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