Article

QSRs roll out fall LTOs, promotions

Autumn flavors pushed into spotlight; football-themed promotions generate guest excitement.

September 11, 2011 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

It's that time of year again – colorful foliage, football Friday nights and autumn-inspired limited-time offers. Fall may not officially begin until Sept. 23, but its influence has already made its way onto menus across the country. Here are some examples of quick-service restaurants taking advantage of this season's bounty.

Dunkin' Donuts

Now available at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide, the fall harvest menu lineup includes:

• Pumpkin Coffee and Latte, available in both hot and iced.
• New Pumpkin Packaged Coffee, available in a special 8 oz. size.
• Pumpkin Donut and Munchkins.
• Pumpkin Muffin, topped with white icing and streusel crumbs.
• New Caramel Apple Donut, Dunkin' Donuts' newest offering, is an old-fashioned cake donut coated with cinnamon sugar.
• Apple Cider, served hot or iced.

"Autumn is a nostalgic time of year, as cooler temperatures and changing leaves evoke fond memories of family and the beloved scent and taste of seasonal flavors such as pumpkin and apple," said Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin' Brands executive chef and vice president of Product Innovation.

Baskin' Robbins

Dunkin' Donuts' sister chain, Baskin-Robbins, has also tapped into a fall favorite, naming French Toast as its September flavor of the month. The French Toast flavored ice cream is infused with a gooey maple bread pudding.

Wendy's

Wendy's recently rolled out its new Caramel Apple Frosty Parfait, a classic Frosty swirled with brown sugar granola, red and green apple slices and Ghirardelli caramel sauce.

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme warms up cool fall mornings with its new line of signature coffees, including house, dark roast and house decaf. The chain has also added a twist to a fall favorite with its Cinnamon Cake Doughnut.

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons has launched a new line of specialty bagels, including Maple Cinnamon French Toast, Mixed Berry and Sundried Tomato Asiago Parm. The chain is also taking advantage of apple harvest season with a new Apple Cider Donut and Timbit, and an Apple Spice Muffin. These can be washed down with the new Caramel Apple Cider Supreme Beverage.

Culver's

Well ahead of Halloween, Culver's has rolled out pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin spice shakes, as well as a pumpkin pecan Concrete Mixer.

Sonic

Sonic's new Pumpkin Pie Shake features real pumpkin, ice cream, cinnamon, nutmet and pie crust pieces.

McDonald's

McDonald's has begun rolling out its new, healthier Happy Meals, automatically featuring ¼-cup of peeled apple slices. Although a seasonal staple, the apple inclusion will be a permanent inclusion. The entire system is expected to have the item available by the first quarter of 2012.

Aside from fall's bounty, some brands have taken advantage of the other seasonal staple – football.

White Castle

White Castle is partnering with Zelosport for a regional Finger Football tournament. Champs from each region will compete in the national White Castle Slider Bowl in Indianapolis the week of the Super Bowl.

"Teaming up with Zelosport is a natural fit since many of our Cravers are football fans and White Castle has restaurants in regions that are home to professional football teams," said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate relations. "White Castle has been family-owned for 90 years and the NFFL promotes family-fun with Finger Football, as well as other games."

Players must register for the tournament online at WhiteCastle.com or by clicking on at White Castle's Facebook page. The official rules and instructions on how to play Finger Football is also available online.

The entry fee is $10. Each player receives a $10 White Castle gift card and an official White Castle-NFFL T-shirt. Players can follow the regional tournaments on Facebook and Twitter.

The tournament kicks-off Sept. 17 in Minneapolis, Minn. Other tournament locations include Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Louisville, Ky., Nashville, Newark, N.J., and St. Louis. Regional winners advance to the White Castle Slider Bowl on Jan. 31 in Indianapolis. Top regional players will receive prizes and the National Champion will win White Castle hamburgers for life plus $2,500 cash.

Hardee's

Hardee's restaurants across North Carolina and Virginia introduced Team Tender Tuesdays last week. Every Tuesday during the football season, more than 430 restaurants in those two states will offer a 5-piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders combo meal for the reduced price of $5, a savings of more than $2.

In addition to Team Tender Tuesdays, Hardee's will sponsor on-field promotions at a handful of games during the season. At each game, a fan will be given the chance to kick a field goal at halftime. If the kick is good, every fan in the stadium will receive a coupon for a free Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Wrapper.

Read more about food and beverage launches.

Photo provided by somebox.

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