Falling into Seasonal LTOs

October 6, 2021

Pumpkins, apples and caramel, oh my! Sweater weather is here, and Halloween is right around the corner, which means here at Marlin Network, we were curious as to what spooky, fall-themed goodies were hitting menus.

Naturally, we put our thinking caps on and did some research. Here are some that caught our attention: 

tomato and mozzarella salad
Image: IHOP.com

First up, the Monster Mummy Burrito from IHOP. This limited time offer (LTO) is made with eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, shredded cheese, hash browns, avocado, queso and sour cream all tugged together in a warm flour tortilla and finished with a pair of jalapeño eyeballs. Whew, that was a mouthful, but this just screams spooky season, right? 
Image: FirstWatch.com

What’s more mouthwatering than a donut that tastes like pumpkin layered in sugar? These are the new Pumpkin Spice Donuts from First Watch. Donuts tossed in pumpkin-spiced sugar and then dusted with both powdered and cinnamon sugars. And realistically, no donut is complete without a dipping sauce, and these are served with a salted caramel butter and crème anglaise.

Image: Food Business News

Starbucks is known for their Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but this year they utilized another popular fall flavor, the apple. This season saw the release of a brand-new drink, the Apple Crisp Macchiato. What can you expect from this hot or iced coffee? Apple and brown sugar layered together with espresso, milk and a caramelized spiced apple drizzle. Just picture yourself stopping for the new Apple Crisp Macchiato on your way to the apple picking patch—pure bliss.  

Image: Dunkin' Instagram

Keeping on the apple trend, the newest seasonal drink to hit Dunkin’s menu is the Apple Cranberry Dunkin’ Refresher. Made with Honeycrisp apples, cranberries, B vitamins and energy from green tea. This is also offered with coconut milk (which CSSI helped to get as a permanent menu extension!)—just ask for the Apple Cranberry Coconut Refresher.

Image: Smoothie King Instagram

Speaking of brand new, Smoothie King launched their Keto Champ Pumpkin Smoothie made with organic pumpkin, almond butter, almond milk, a keto protein blend and a spice blend. Not to fret, their other popular pumpkin smoothies hit menus this year as well, including the Pumpkin Coffee High Protein, Pumpkin D-Lite, Slim-N-Trim Pumpkin and Vegan Pumpkin. Now the question is, which one would you choose?

Image: ChuckECheese.com

Searching for some fall family fun all-around? Look no further than Chuck E. Cheese. Their new thriller-themed menu includes items such as Pumpkin Pepperoni Pizza, Creepy Cupcake, Slime Cookie and Dippin’ Dots® Eye Scream. What does a Creepy Cupcake or Slime Cookie come with you might ask? The cupcake is a jumbo-sized vanilla cupcake topped and filled with vanilla whipped frosting, slime and a candy monster face. The Slime Cookie is a giant warm cookie topped with icing, slime and a candy monster face. The Dippin’ Dots® Eye Scream also comes with a dollop of slime and three gummy worms. 

There are plenty of seasonal treats waiting for us on our favorite menus. LTOs are a fun way to attract new customers but also a great way to showcase innovation and thought leadership. Interested in an innovation worksheet? Contact Sherry Gorsich, Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at CSSI, at sherry.gorsich@cssiculinary.com. 

Happy consuming! 

Skylar Skidmore
Senior Marketing Manager, Marlin Network

SUNDAY MORNING SCONES

February 28, 2023
March 1st, 2023 We’re thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our culinary family: Chef Steve Madonna. Formally trained in both Italy and the United States, as well as having worked for Wolfgang Puck, Chef Steve brings an extensive set of connections and culinary knowledge to our already stacked chef roster. Featured in this month’s issue is one of Chef Steve’s favorite recipes for making memories at home with your loved ones.

Chef Austin’s Pumpkin Pie Milk Punch

October 19, 2022
October 19, 2022 Pumpkin pie is a nostalgic menu item and my personal favorite when it comes to fall and winter menus, as it goes hand in hand with a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. We elevate the nostalgia by turning this must-have holiday dish into a clarified cocktail that leaves your taste buds as curious as your eyes. We get adventurous as we replace expected visual elements with an ice-cold glass of clarified liquors infused with pumpkin pie. This cocktail defies all visual expectations, while leaving your sense of smell and taste immersed in a seasonally nostalgic experience.

The Great Canadian Snack Game

October 19, 2022
October 19, 2022 Canada is well known for many things. Hockey, snow, maple syrup, and a few other stereotypical but somewhat accurate concepts may immediately come to mind. What you may not know, though, is how invested we are in the snacks that we consume. Compared to the U.S., sure, we are no match for the quantity and variety offered in the land of the free, home of the snacks. However, what we know in our hearts is that Canada has a long-standing, tried-and-true, flawed, yet beloved top-notch snack game. I’m talking about comfort foods that have become so integrated and so established that they are classified as cult-favourites—and no, I did not spell favourites incorrectly. You are about to see a lot more of the letter “U” in this article. Sorry! The great Canadian snack game is easy enough to understand. You think of a flavour and either slap it on a potato or pair it with chocolate. Snacking has always been a huge part of Canadian food culture, but it is only going up from here. To put it lightly, the past few years have been tough on everyone around the world, and Canadians have chosen to increase their spending on snacks by 67% as an indulgence or, personally, as a coping mechanism. In no way, shape, or form am I claiming to be a culinary expert somehow employed in the field of Finance, but I have eaten a lot in my life and right now, I’m the best and/or only Canadian guide you’ve got. Let’s get into the details:
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