--- title: "Starbucks brings up the rear in a pumpkin menu launch this month" url: https://burnaze.com/article/cb8a1e27-b6fa-4c5e-bef7-b14fc1053b69 source: "Restaurant Business" original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/starbucks-brings-rear-pumpkin-menu-launch-month category: "Coffee & tea" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Coffee & tea" published: 2026-08-12T00:30:20.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:48.418Z image: https://cdn.informaconnect.com/platform/files/public/2026-08/background/Scooter%27s%20Coffee%20opener.jpg?VersionId=nWZENXO86flZTu4OuxyfF6VrHwYuTG8G --- # Starbucks brings up the rear in a pumpkin menu launch this month **TL;DR:** Starbucks is launching its Pumpkin Spice Latte on August 25, later than competitors such as Krispy Kreme, Scooter's Coffee, Dunkin', Panera, and IHOP. These brands are introducing their fall menus earlier, with various pumpkin-flavored drinks and food items. *originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-08-12. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/starbucks-brings-rear-pumpkin-menu-launch-month).* ## Story Starbucks brewed up its first Pumpkin Spice Latte 23 years ago, and every year since, fans eagerly await its return. In 2026, the coffee giant chose Aug. 25 for the debut of PSL and the rest of the fall menu, but other brands are feeding the craving earlier. That there is a strong craving is backed up by the latest data from Yelp. People start searching for pumpkin in July, and in 2026, searches for “pumpkin spice latte” were up 301% and “pumpkin latte” searches rose 256% compared to the same time last year**.** Krispy Kreme and Scooter’s are ready with their lineups this week, with Dunkin’ and Panera poised to launch Aug. 19, and IHOP on Aug. 24. Krispy Kreme was first out of the kitchen as it was last year, rolling out Pumpkin Spice Latte and a Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut when it unveiled its Autumn Seasonal Collection Tuesday. The latte is blended with pumpkin sauce and topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of spice, while the doughnut is flavored with the classic spices. Joining the pumpkin parade is a new Apple Crisp Latte, flavored with apple crisp syrup and crowned with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and graham flavored topping. “Nobody welcomes fall quite like Krispy Kreme, and we’re excited to bring back Pumpkin Spice while introducing even more seasonal flavors for our fans to fall in love with,” said Alison Holder, chief product and brand officer in a statement. The doughnut chain is also introducing doughnuts in maple cheesecake, cookie butter, and mocha varieties in its Autumn Seasonal Collection. Omaha, Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee is close behind Krispy Kreme, offering up four pumpkin beverages starting Thursday. The OG Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Chai Latte are two of the four, both available hot, iced, or blended. On the fancier side are the Pumpkin Caramelicious topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and cinnamon powder and the new Pumpkin Cinnalicious, a cinnamon and brown sugar-forward take on a pumpkin latte, also topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. For customers in the mood for a complementary treat, there’s a Pumpkin Caramelicious Muffin with a salted caramel and pumpkin spice flavor profile. “At Scooter’s Coffee, we launch our fall menu each year in mid-August because that’s when schedules begin to change: Summer is winding down, school is soon to be back in session, and fall activities are ramping up. We strive to meet our guests where they are in life and satisfy their fall flavor cravings,” said Angela Dempsey, Scooter’s senior director of menu strategy. “At the same time, we also consider things like year-over-year sales performance, product availability, and maintaining a regular cadence of introducing fresh new items for our guests. These factors drive our scheduling rather than our competition, bringing our guests a mix of familiar favorites and exciting new twists each year.” Maple and caramel apple are also flavoring Scooter’s fall menu. “We offered the Maple Caramelicious as a limited-time offering as part of our holiday menu late last year. It was such a hit with guests that we brought it back as a featured fall flavor,” said Dempsey. The caramel and maple latte comes topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and salted toffee. It’s also being offered in a new format — the Maple Caramelicious Crème Cold Brew featuring maple cold foam. A Caramel Apple Red Bull Infusion and Caramel Apple Smoothie complete the fall drink selection. Dunkin’ has been quite secretive about its launch date, dropping some subtle hints on Instagram as to the launch date of Aug. 19. But content creator Markie Devo leaked the fall menu back on July 21, pointing to 14 beverages and eight food items. In the pumpkin category of this extensive list are Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte, Pumpkin Cloud Dunkalatte, Pumpkin Patch Cloud Latte, Nutty Pumpkin Protein Latte, and Pumpkin Pie Coffee Chiller. Tiramisu is a trending fall beverage flavor at Dunkin’ too, appearing in a Protein Latte, Shakin’ Espresso, Cloud Latte, and Tiramisu Marshmallow Matcha. There’s also a Harvest Spiced Chai and several refreshers, with pumpkin donuts and muffins on hand for breakfast or snacking. Whether this is the final selection remains to be seen. Panera’s pumpkin lineup drops the same day as Dunkin’s, leading off with two fan favorites: Pumpkin Spice Latte and Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte. Both combine espresso with foamed milk and pumpkin spice sauce, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spice crumbles. New this year is Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee, made with dark roast coffee instead of espresso, blended with pumpkin spice sauce and topped with sweet cream cold foam and the same crumbles. Also new is Pumpkin Spice Frozen Java, a frozen blended coffee drink topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spice crumbles. Panera’s pumpkin streak continues on the food side with two new items: a Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll and Caramel Pumpkin Slice; both are topped with pumpkin spice icing. And making a return appearance is a pumpkin-shaped shortbread cookie decorated with icing. Coming on Aug. 24, the day before Starbucks’ launch, is IHOP’s pumpkin menu. The family-dining chain’s signature Pumpkin Spice Pancakes are back in a combo plate, but IHOP is also introducing two new pumpkin creations. Pumpkin Cheesecake Pancake Tacos feature three silver dollar pumpkin spice pancakes folded into a taco shape and filled with cheesecake mousse; they’re topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. Also new is a Pumpkin Spice Milkshake, topped with whipped cream and a Cinn-A-Dipper donut hole. According to an IHOP spokesperson, in 2025, the brand recorded its strongest pumpkin sales in five years, with volume up 104% year-over-year. Like its competitors, Starbucks’ fall flavor palette now goes way beyond PSL. It seems that every brand is not only adding more pumpkin iterations, each is expanding into apple, maple, caramel, and even tiramisu. Stay tuned for more flavor play when September arrives. *Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.* Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business and hosts the weekly Menu Talk podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation. ## Entities - QSR (sector) - menu pricing (topic) - Starbucks (company) - Dunkin' Brands (company) - Restaurant Business (publication) - Scooter's Coffee (company) - IHOP (company) - Krispy Kreme (company) - Panera Brands (company) - seasonal flavors (topic) - qsr competition (topic) - Alison Holder (person) --- Originally reported by Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/starbucks-brings-rear-pumpkin-menu-launch-month). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/cb8a1e27-b6fa-4c5e-bef7-b14fc1053b69).