By Elizabeth Wessel

RestoBiz and Technomic have partnered to present LTO trends that are on the rise, along with data to help operators meet diner demands, stay trendy and structure offers that will get guests excited. This edition of LTO Trend Watch looks back at May, highlighting trends including Thai-inspired dishes, fruity lemonades, and more.  

May’s top trends

Limited-time offers and new items trending in May had some operators featuring global inspirations, including Thai-inspired cuisine choices on menus. Some of the Turtle Jack’s Muskoka Grill​ added a Miso Salmon dish with Asian cucumber salad, Thai-seasoned bok choy and coconut rice​, and Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse rolled out a Tandoori Chicken Wrap paired with a drizzle of mango-ginger Thai sauce and a house-made cucumber-lemon dip.

Fruity lemonades

Beverages are getting a lot of the limelight on current menus, and May saw an uptick in fun tangy lemonade options. Some restaurant examples included:

• Dairy Queen spotlighted its Pineapple Lemonade Sparkler with Tajin featuring a crisp, classic lemonade made from real lemon juice and the tropical sweetness of pineapple flavour, topped with sparkling water over ice​.
• Chick-fil-A launched its Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade, which combines the classic lemonade with delicious natural strawberry and subtle hibiscus flavours​.

Comparing month-to-month LTOs gives operators a chance to see what the competition is doing to better plan for the year. Here is the data from May 2025 to May 2026:

Monthly LTO Tracker

-18 per cent month over month

-10 per cent year over year

LTOs by mealpart

How can operators decide which menus should feature LTOs and where the competition is headed? Here is a look at the LTO trends by mealpart from May 2026:

LTOs by segment

Where do diners find the most LTOs? Data shows that 63 per cent of LTOs were from full-service restaurants, whereas only 37 per cent of limited-service restaurants participated in LTOs in May. As for the breakdown of those offers, out of 841 total LTOs/new additions for May 2026, 94 per cent were limited-time offers and six per cent made up new additions.

As diner preferences continue to change, operators need to adjust their offers, innovate with LTOs, and watch the trends to find success in 2026 and beyond.

Elizabeth Wessel is a Senior Research Analyst for Technomic, a Chicago-based foodservice research and consulting firm. Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. The company’s services include publications and digital products as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry, including menu trends.

Source: Technomic Ignite Menu