By Elizabeth Wessel

Looking back at dominant trends can help operators assess successes, address challenges, and plan for the next season’s menu. RestoBiz and Technomic have partnered to present LTO trends that are on the rise, along with information to help operators offer an elevated experience, stay trendy, and structure LTOs that will drive traffic. This edition examines the month of September, focusing on trends including fruit dirty sodas and Oktoberfest offerings on restaurant menus.

September’s top trends

Limited time offers and new items trending in September had some operators featuring fruity dirty sodas on the menu, adding colour and freshness to the fall menus. KFC featured The Nightshift Dirty Soda, a twist on a classic dirty soda featuring a mix of Pepsi, cherry syrup and strawberry puree, finished with vanilla cold foam. Chick-fil-A spotlighted a Pineapple Dragonfruit and Sprite, featuring Sprite mixed with pineapple, dragon fruit, and other natural flavours.

Oktoberfest offerings

This past September also saw an uptick in timely dishes celebrating Oktoberfest, including:

• Firkin Pubs released the Currywurst, a grilled bratwurst with fries and German-style curry ketchup
• Archibald Restaurants launched its Braised Pork Knuckles as part of its Oktoberfest menu

Comparing month-to-month LTOs gives operators a chance to see what the competition is doing so they can analyze data to create a strategy that works best for the business. Here is the data from September 2025 to September 2026:

Monthly LTO Tracker

-6 per cent, month over month

-16 per cent, year over year

LTOs by mealpart

How can operators decide where LTOs best fit their menus? Here is a look at the LTO trends by mealpart from September 2026:

LTOs by segment

Where do diners find the most LTOs? Data shows that 56 per cent of LTOs were from full-service restaurants, whereas 44 per cent of limited-service restaurants participated in LTOs in September. As for the breakdown of those offers, out of 709 total LTOs/new additions for September 2026, 97 per cent were limited time offers and only 3 per cent made up new additions.

As the industry continues to evolve, operators who use data to watch the trends, create compelling offers, and stand out in the market place can increase traffic, get attention, and build the bottom line to in 2027 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

LTOs by mealpart

How can operators decide where LTOs best fit their menus? Here is a look at the LTO trends by mealpart from September 2026: