August is the new October

The pumpkin spice latte and other pumpkin-themed menu items have been available at Starbucks stores across the US for more than a week now, the timing of which has probably made Charlie Brown very happy.

The August 24 arrival of The Great Pumpkin Starbucks’ fall menu is tied with 2021 as the earliest rollout in company history. It’s not the only food/drink chain to have rolled out its fall (read: pumpkin-themed) menu weeks before the actual debut of the fall season, either.

• Krispy Kreme rolled out its pumpkin spice doughnut lineup on August 7
• Dunkin’s fall menu was released on August 16
• IHOP unveiled its fall menu on August 28

Over time, the launch dates of these fall-themed menus have started to creep up earlier and earlier. The number of limited-time pumpkin launches at restaurant chains and convenience stores was 86 in August 2022 compared with 32 in August 2019, per data from Technomic (a ~169% increase).

And even though this may cause some consumers not named Charlie Brown to grumble, companies have their reasons. Execs say consumer research indicates they have permission to push the boundaries of timing – and these limited-time menus are very profitable. Starbucks typically sees same-store sales increase 10%-25% overall during the week after its fall menu launches; it also sells an estimated 20 million pumpkin spice lattes alone while its fall menu is live.