The coffee and donut giant has revealed its new fall menu as top brands leverage the upcoming season to drive customer traffic.
Beginning August 17, the fall bakery line-up will include the return of Dunkin's glazed Pumpkin Cake Donut, Pumpkin Munchkin Donut Holes and a Pumpkin Muffin.
Dunkin's Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Pumpkin Spice Latte, along with its Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich and Maple Sugar Snackin' Bacon will also be returning to menus, along with two new additions: the Blood Orange Refresher and the Nutty Pumpkin Coffee Creation.
Jill Nelson, VP of Marketing and Culinary at Dunkin, said in a press release that fans' anticipation of fall grow more and more each year. She said customers can enjoy a discounted $3 medium Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew or Pumpkin Spice Latte beginning August 17 through September 13.
Last year, Dunkin saw its visits increase during the week of its Pumpkin Spice drink debut on August 16, climbing 8.4% compared to the same week in 2019 according to Placer.ai.
The momentum continued into the following week, with Dunkin's foot traffic increasing by 3% on the day of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte release on August 24.
Foot traffic patterns are largely expected to come in higher this year, as COVID- 19 fears are lessened.
Dunkin's autumnal lineup follows a slew of other brands leveraging pumpkin this fall season.
Starbucks SBUX has yet to announce its official fall menu, but the chain's famous Pumpkin Spice Latte — better known as the PSL — is expected to return to stores later this month. The PSL has been a strong driver for growth for Starbucks since its debut in 2003, with more than 500 million orders sold to date.
Convenience chain 7-Eleven has just released its own version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, noting how the signature drink has become a cultural phenomenon that is loved by coffee drinkers everywhere. General Mills GIS has announced the return of its Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, in addition to its Pillsbury Pumpkin Grands and Pillsbury Salted Caramel Apple and Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.
Last week, Oreo MDLZ announced that its pumpkin spice sandwich cookie would return nationwide for a limited time beginning August 15, the first time in five years, while Dairy Queen's BRK-B fan-favorite Pumpkin Pie Blizzard will re-join menus on August 29.
Alcohol brands are hopping on the trend as well.
Samuel Adams SAM has recently unveiled the return of its Pumpkin Ale dubbed the Jack-O, in addition to its popular Sweater Weather Variety pack, which includes the Jack-O, OctoberFest, Boston Lager and Festbier varieties.
Alexandra is a Senior Entertainment and Food Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow alliecanal 8193 on Twitter and email her at alexandra.canalyahoofinance.com.