Krispy Kreme, Peet's, Jimmy John's and Snooze catch pumpkin fever

The rush to get pumpkin drinks and eats on menus continues as August winds down, with several new players joining the early entries. But other flavors are trending too, especially paired with chicken. And sweets are sporting unusually bright colors. Here’s what’s happening on menus right now.

Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut return to Krispy Kreme’s menu for a limited time. The PSL is available hot, iced and frozen, topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice seasoning.

Wednesday marks the start of pumpkin season at Peet’s Coffee with the classic Pumpkin Latte. But the chain is broadening its fall flavor selection with the debut of Spiced Maple Cold Brew Oat Latte and Fiery Mocha, a fusion of hot chocolate and warm spices. There’s also a medium-roast brew on offer called Wine & Walnut Blend. On the food side, there’s a Chicken and Waffles Sandwich made with chicken sausage, bacon and a sweet-spicy spread layered between maple waffles with toasted gouda on top.

Pumpkin Latte, a Pumpkin Martini and Pumpkin Pecan Pie Pancakes launch at Snooze A.M. Eatery on Aug. 27. The pancakes have a vanilla cream cheese filling and a topping of caramel sauce, candied pecans and a sweet cream drizzle. Also coming on the menu are three new omelets: the Denver; Protein Trio with bacon, ham, sausage and cheddar; and the Jalapeno and Cheddar. Pancake flights will now include Pineapple Upside Down, Cinnamon Roll and Strawberry Shortcake pancakes.

Cookies are the platform for pumpkin at Jimmy John’s with the arrival of Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies. The treats feature a pumpkin cookie dough dotted with white chocolate chips. To accompany the seasonal sweets, Jimmy John’s is releasing a limited-time pumpkin sweatshirt for purchase. 

Chick-fil-A is bringing back its Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich and this time, guests can turn up the heat by ordering it with a spicy chicken filet as well as the original. The build for both includes chicken drizzled with honey, topped with pimento cheese and mild pickled jalapenos on a toasted bun. Also making a comeback is the Banana Pudding Milkshake, a blend of the chain’s Icedream dessert, bananas and vanilla wafer crumbles. Also boasting a banana flavor is Banana Frosted Coffee made with cold brew, Icedream, bananas and vanilla wafer crumbles.

Bourbon is the flavor profile of choice at Arby’s with the return of two Bourbon BBQ Sandwiches. The Bourbon BBQ Chicken Sandwich layers a crispy chicken filet with two strips of brown sugar bacon, melted cheddar, crispy onions and a signature bourbon barbecue sauce. The Bourbon BBQ Brisket Sandwich features sliced 13-hour smoked beef brisket with strips of brown sugar bacon, melted cheddar, crispy onions and the same bourbon barbecue sauce. Both are served on a toasted brioche bun.

Panda Express is also tapping bourbon for its newest limited-time offer, Blazing Bourbon Chicken, the hottest item to hit the menu. The dish features crispy boneless chicken bites and fresh veggies, wok-tossed in a spicy and sweet bourbon sauce fused with Hot Ones Last Dab Apollo hot sauce and topped with sesame seeds. It makes its national debut Sept. 4 after a successful test last year.

Breakfast Lasagna is just one of a multitude of new items and returning favorites coming to Wild Eggs. The lasagna layers buttermilk pancakes, cheddar-jack cheese, mornay sauce, crumbled sausage, scrambled eggs and syrup, finished with melted cheddar-jack cheese. There’s also a new Bacon City Omelet stuffed with bacon and Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, then topped with mornay sauce. New sandwich selections include Bloody Mary Grilled Cheese and a Cuban, while a California Bennie with avocado, smoked turkey and grilled tomato and a Corned Beef Hash Bennie join the Eggs Benedict lineup. For dessert, a new shareable—Baked Apple with oatmeal-pecan—rolls out.

A collaboration with Warheads sour candies led Cinnabon to develop three colorful iced cinnamon rolls with fruity flavors. The trio includes Blue Raspberry, Green Apple and Watermelon, each frosted and embellished with Warheads popping candies. On the beverage side is the Warheads Blue Raspberry Chillata to cool off the last hot days of summer.

Another partnership between Nothing Bundt Cakes and Pop-Tarts brought about a new limited-time flavor for the dessert chain: Nothing Bundt Cakes Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Available as a personal-size Bundtlet only, the variation features strawberry cake baked with Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts pieces and crowned with cream cheese frosting, confetti sprinkles and a Pop-Tarts pastry bite.

A Snow Crab California Roll makes its first appearance at Kura Sushi. It’s made with sustainably sourced snow crab from Pacific waters rather than the surimi typically used in California rolls, providing a firmer texture and naturally light, sweet flavor. The roll is also filled with avocado for a creamy contrast.

Fall is in the air at Bob Evans with menu introductions that suit the season. New are grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken, Cheesy Chili Fries and Hot Caramel Apple Cider. Making a return engagement is Bob Evans Famous Sausage Chili with a base of pork sausage topped with shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions and sour cream. The same chili goes on the Cheesy Chili Fries. And rounding out the fall menu is Turtle Cheesecake Pie. Bob Evans $22.99 “Dinner for 2” deal is now available at all locations after a test in Florida.

Norm’s is also ready for fall with deals on Bone-In Wings ($8.99 for six and $13.99 for 10) and a Big A Porterhouse Steak Dinner for $22.99—a 20-ounce steak with potato and vegetable. The wings come with a choice of eight sauces or rubs, including Gochujang Korean Barbecue, Hot Honey and Habanero. To drink, there’s cold brew coffee topped with cold foam in flavors like vanilla chocolate, cinnamon vanilla or caramel macchiato. 

Wings are also flying onto the menu at Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. The chain’s new Spicy Wings are available in orders of six, 12 or 20; the six-wing orders come with two sauces, the 12-wing orders receive three sauces and the 20-wing orders have four sauces. Sauce options include Bonsai, Chipotle Ranch, Country BBQ, Creamy Ranch, Fiery Buffalo and Honey Mustard.

Caramel Churro Cookies are the latest variety at Great American Cookies. With a combo of caramel chips and cinnamon sugar crunch, the cookies capture the churro’s iconic flavor profile. And seasonal Pumpkin Spice Cookies return, made with pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and white chocolate with a dusting of powdered sugar.