By Katie Belflower

RestoBiz and Technomic have once again partnered to present LTO trends that are on the rise, along with data that helps operators meet diner demands, stay trendy, and structure offers that will get guests excited and encourage return visits. September’s trends included Oktoberfest pretzels, mushroom and meatball dishes, and more.  

 Pretzels, please

As the temperatures started to cool, LTOs and new items trending in September had some operators adding Oktoberfest-inspired pretzels to their menus:

• Gabby’s introduced the Oktoberfest Pretzel, featuring a classic soft salted pretzel served with a grainy mustard dip
• 3 Brasseurs launched the Deluxe Pretzel with a new signature sauce

A twist on comfort food

September also saw a rise in comfort food, featuring dishes combining meatballs and mushrooms, with two LTOs spotlighting the duo:

• Firkin Pubs introduced Albondigas and Mushrooms, featuring Spanish beef-and-pork meatballs, tomato-white wine sauce, and sautéed mushrooms
• Fionn MacCool’s offered Meatball Spätzle Stroganoff with handmade German pasta and meatballs cooked in a rich creamy mushroom, white wine, basil and Parmesan sauce, garnished with parsley and paprika

Comparing month-to-month LTO insights gives operators a chance to see what the competition is doing and to better plan for the upcoming year. Here is the data from September 2024 to September 2025:

Monthly LTO Tracker

Results show -3 per cent month over month, and +19 per cent year over year

LTOs by mealpart

How can operators decide which menus should feature LTOs? Here is a look at the LTO trends by mealpart from September 2025:

LTOs by segment

Where do diners find the most LTOs? Data shows that 56 per cent were from full-service restaurants, whereas only 44 per cent of limited-service restaurants participated in September. As for the breakdown of those offers, out of 849 total LTOs/new additions for September 2025, 89 per cent were limited-time offers and 11 per cent made up new additions.

As diner preferences continue to change, operators need to adjust their offers, create new LTOs, and watch the trends to find success in the coming year.

 Katie Belflower is a Manager of Menu Research & Insights 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.