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Every fall, it’s pumpkin spice this, pumpkin spice that. Starbucks first introduced its Pumpkin Spice Latte in September back in 2003, and the release date has crept up nearly every year since, landing as early as mid-August. But the data is showing pumpkin spice may finally be turning into a pumpkin, and franchises are right there with the trend.
“Pumpkin spice lattes have long since graduated from trend status… but our data shows signs that it may be reaching its peak,” says Cristen Milliner, consumer trends expert at DoorDash.
Pecan orders jumped 28% year over year, and chains are stacking their fall menus with banana, tiramisu, apple and marshmallow flavors instead of leaning on the usual favorite, according to The Takeout.
Starbucks dropped its fall menu Aug. 25 with three pecan drinks alongside a new Iced Banana Bread Latte and a chai-cider hybrid called the Chaider. Dunkin’ went all in on tiramisu, launching four new drinks including a Tiramisu Cloud Latte topped with marshmallow cold foam. McDonald’s skipped pumpkin entirely this year, building its McCafe menu around a Caramel Apple Pie Latte instead.
Chick-fil-A leaned into campfire nostalgia with a S’mores Frosted Coffee, while Wendy’s took a direct jab at pumpkin spice in its own press release, calling its new Apple Crumble Frosty Fusion the pick “for those craving a sweet taste of fall beyond pumpkin spice.” Dairy Queen, which has run its Pumpkin Pie Blizzard since 1991, is adding a Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Blizzard to the mix this year too.
“We’re seeing what I call comfort rushing, where people reach for fall staples earlier than ever as a way to ease the end-of-summer slump,” Milliner added.
