Food Franchise Bands Keep it Cool for the Summer Season with Iced Beverages, Tasty Sandwiches and Pizzas, and More
Updated July 18, 2024
Summer is a time for fun with family and friends and relaxing vacations. With Americans projected to spend $221 billion on summer vacations this year, food franchises can entice locals and tourists alike with fun limited time offers (LTOs) and seasonal products.
Check out these franchise brands that are keeping it cool for the summer season with iced beverages, tasty sandwiches and pizzas, and more.
Summer 2024: Seasonal Restaurant Menu Items and Specials
Bad Daddy’s
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar franchise is celebrating the summer season with a new lineup of smashburgers and beverages through Aug. 26. The Classic Smashburger contains American cheese, red onion and house-made Sidekick Slaw on a toasted brioche bun, and the Steakhouse Smashburger includes sharp cheddar, shredded lettuce and two A1-marinated onion rings. New drinks include the Tiki Torch Mocktail (pineapple, lime, house strawberry habanero syrup and Peach Reál with soda), Island Dream (Cazadores Tequila Reposado, RumHaven Coconut Rum, Strawberry and Pineapple Reál, pineapple and lime soda) and Castaway Punch (Bulleit Bourbon, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Pineapple Reál, pineapple sour mix and bitters).
Eggs Up Grill
Eggs Up Grill is turning up the heat this summer with a new limited-edition menu. Through Aug. 4, the breakfast franchise is bringing back fan-favorite menu items including the strawberry cheesecake pancakes (above) and the Southwest chicken salad and introducing the new Strawberries & Cream Croissant-Style Donuts, BLT+ E (egg) and strawberry lemonade mimosa.
Friendly’s
Friendly’s is extending the season to Oct. 5 with its new SummerFest menu. Items featured on the new menu include Maine-style lobster roll (above), Connecticut-style lobster roll, lobster and shrimp quesadilla, lobster bisque soup, strawberry salad, and the Double Stack Burger. The menu also features some sweet treats: sugar cone nachos, PBJ croissant, French toast a la mode, Fresh Berry Slammer and chocolate cheesecake Fribble.
Juice It Up!
To keep customers cool in the warmer months, Juice It Up! is featuring a new limited-edition summer menu. The smoothie, raw juice, acai and superfruit bowl chain is rolling out the new passion fruit-orange-guava smoothie and pretzel bites, and bringing back the Strawberry Lemonade Twist (above) and Sandía Loca Smoothie. The passion fruit-orange-guava smoothie features a passion fruit juice blend, pineapple, orange sherbet and the tropical flavors of guava, and the Strawberry Lemonade Twist contains a blend of strawberries, lemonade, aloe vera and a strawberry and apple juice blend.
Marco’s Pizza
Marco’s Pizza’s new Fiery Flavors menu will make you think the temperature outside is downright cool. At the heart of this new menu is a spicy cheese blend made with fresh Monterey Jack cheese infused with jalapeños, habaneros and Carolina Reaper peppers. Items featuring the cheese blend are the Fiery Pepperoni Pizza, Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizza, Fiery Pepperoni Pizzoli, Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizzoli, Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizza Bowl, Fiery CheezyBread and Inferno CheezyBread.
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes
Through Sept. 1, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes is adding the new Summer Candy Crush shake to the menu. The seasonal shake has a base of blue raspberry, crafted with 100% real vanilla ice cream and topped with crunchy Nerds candy.
Nékter Juice Bar
Through Aug. 31, participating Nékter Juice Bar locations are getting into the summer fun with three new Summertime Shakes. These new shakes are the Peanut Butter Cookie Monster Shake, Birthday Cake Shake and Strawberry Shortcake Shake.
Panera Bread
Panera Bread is making summer even hotter with new menu items. Guests can enjoy the new Spicy Chicken Fiesta and Kickin’ Grilled Cheese sandwiches alongside two new Avocado Toast varieties. These varieties include the Classic Avo and Garden Avo.
Papa Johns
Due to popular demand, Papa Johns is bringing back the Cheesy Burger Pizza for the summer. The Cheesy Burger Pizza features a signature sauce, generous portions of beef, tomato, dill pickle and real cheese made from mozzarella, served with a cup of special garlic sauce and pepperoncini. This combo of flavors is also available in the returning Cheesy Burger Papadia and all-new Cheesy Burger Papa Bites.
PJ’s Coffee
Through Aug. 27, PJ’s Coffee is celebrating summer by launching a variety of beverages featuring coffee, Red Bull infusions and lemonade. These drinks include Butter Pecan Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam, Butter Pecan Velvet Ice, Watermelon Tropics Red Bull Infusion, Very Berry Red Bull Infusion, and Tropical Splash Iced Lemonade.
Potbelly
Potbelly’s new Blueberry Muffin Cookie will be available for a limited time while supplies last. Infused with real blueberries baked fresh into a soft muffin base, the new cookie can satisfy fans’ cravings at any time of the day.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard’s new summer lineup includes Rita’s Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Italian Ice. The tasty treat will be featured in a five-layer gelati, which combines Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Ice with layers of vanilla custard topped with rainbow sprinkles. The Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Ice Blender is a sippable option for those looking to beat the heat.
Salata Salad Kitchen
Through the end of summer, Salata Salad Kitchen is adding watermelon to the menu. The Baja Watermelon Salad (above) is made with Salata Mix, beets, edamame, cilantro, feta cheese, watermelon, lemon vinaigrette dressing and a protein topping of the Spicy Chipotle Shrimp. To accompany their entrees, guests can order fresh watermelon.
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar is bringing the summer heart with a tidal wave of seasonal offerings. Highlights include the Flo’ Boy (a flounder sandwich on French bread with tomato, housemade Mile 0 Mustard and Cajun slaw) and the Summer Sampler (a trio of seafood delights featuring crab salad, a citrus burst of ceviche, and ahi tuna tartare). Guests can also try the seafood franchise’s new cocktails: White Sangria (a blend of Deep Eddy’s Peach, Pinot Grigio, cranberry, lemon and a peach wedge); the Spike Lemon (made with Bacardi Limon, sour mix, Sprite and muddled fruit); and the Key Lime Crush (a concoction of Smirnoff Citrus vodka, lime juice, Coco Lopez, Sprite and a lemon wedge).
Taco John’s
Summer and lemonade just go together. To keep guests hydrated all summer, Taco John’s is debuting two new beverages: Strawberry Sunset Lemonade and Wildberry Wave Lemonade. The Strawberry Sunset Lemonade blends strawberries and tangy citrus, and the Wildberry Wave Lemonade delivers a fusion of assorted berries. The Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant franchise has expanded its ValuEST menu with two new food items: the refried bean tostada and the beefy tostada.
Tender Greens
To capture the essence of summer, the Tender Greens franchise is launching a limited-time seasonal menu. Items on this new menu include the Summer Harvest Salad (above), California Bowl with Salmon or Chipotle Chicken, Watermelon Agua Fresca, Tender Burger, and Country-style Fried Chicken.
Vicious Biscuit
Vicious Biscuit is getting tropical with new summer dishes and drinks through Aug. 31. The Caribbean Cordon Bleu (above) features a buttermilk biscuit enveloped with smoked ham, melted white cheddar cheese and grilled chicken, and topped with a tropical pineapple salsa. To complement this new menu item, the breakfast franchise is also offering the new strawberry vodka lemonade and tropical pineapple mimosa.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s has released the Triple Berry Frosty to make summer even sweeter. The new delectable dessert combines three summer fruit flavors: strawberry, blackberry and raspberry.
Wetzel’s Pretzels
Wetzel’s Pretzels is celebrating summer and its 30th anniversary with new Strawberry Funnel Cake Bitz. These Wetzel’s bite-sized buttered pretzel bitz are topped with a drizzle of strawberry sauce and dusted with powdered sugar. The sharable snack is available nationwide staring at $7.99.
Yampa Sandwich Company
The Yampa Sandwich Company is celebrating summer with a new menu item and the return of a popular seasonal treat. The Florentine Fresco (above) boasts layers of capocollo, Genoa salami, house balsamic vinaigrette, arugula, roasted red peppers and an artichoke ricotta cream, all on a French baguette. The fan-favorite Yampa ice cream sandwich also is back on the menu for the summer.
Ziggi’s Coffee
Peach is at the center of Ziggi’s Coffee’s new summer menu. The Peach Mango Paradise Fresherz is a lightly caffeinated iced treat featuring peach and mango, topped with mango pieces. The Just Peachy Energy Infusion combines peach, passion fruit, white chocolate and Ziggi’s Energy. The Sparkling Peach Lemonade Boba contains flavors of sparkling peach and lemonade with peach boba.
