By Colette Bennett TheStreet
Ah, springtime: when we trade our long sleeves for short, slather on the sunscreen, and get to enjoy all the pleasures of the season, from blooming flowers and sunnier days to snow cones and barbecues.
While every season is an opportunity for the fast-food industry to take advantage of people's ever-changing tastes, spring is an especially ripe one. Folks are quick to grab for anything that will cool them down once the temperatures start heading north of the 90s.
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Those who frequent drive-thrus will notice this on the menus of their favorite haunts. Wendy's, for instance, has introduced several lemonades, including a Tangerine Twist and a Pineapple Mango, as well as Frosty Swirls, which are a bit like the McDonald's famed McFlurry. Little Caesars has a new flavor of Mountain Dew called Mango Rush. And Starbucks has an Iced Cherry Chai and several new oatmilk drinks that will pair well with the warmer weather.
Related: Huge burger chain franchisee files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Burger King (QSR) , naturally, is also getting in on the spring drinks craze, and has launched a new product that's available at its restaurants now.
Burger King's new collaboration
Burger King is offering a new limited-edition drink, although it's such an ultra-sweet treat it should probably be considered a dessert.
The Frozen Strawberry & Nerds candy drink is a strawberry-flavored beverage topped with a crunchy layer of Nerds candy. The new drink is now available at participating Burger King locations nationwide and joins several other limited-edition offerings, including a frozen strawberry Fanta, churro fries, and a Hershey's sundae.
Related: McDonald's is debuting a wild new sandwich
Popular food blogger Markie Devo posted about the Burger King drinks on his Instagram on April 22, sharing an image that also included a Frozen Blue Razz (blue raspberry) flavor. However, Burger King's official announcement did not mention this flavor.
If you're on the lookout for a deal for your next Burger King visit, every Saturday in May, customers can enjoy a free classic Frozen Strawberry-flavored beverage with a purchase of $1 or more through the BK App and on BK.com at participating restaurants.
Getting ahead in the competitive LTO market
With customers groomed on constant newness thanks to the pace of social media, keeping fast-food customers coming back means that limited-time offerings, or LTOs, need to be part of every fast food chain's strategy.
A few model examples include Starbucks, which reinvents its menu multiple times a season to keep regular customers interested and to attract new ones, and Taco Bell, which has been masterfully reorganizing its key ingredients for decades to create "new" things for people to try.
While Burger King is playing the game, it's also playing it safe in comparison to some of its competitors. At number seven on the list of chains with the highest revenue, it's tailing behind a lot of big names, including McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, and Starbucks.
However, Burger King is still working on the "Reclaim the Flame" strategy it announced in Sept. 2022. It also recently welcomed Joel Yashinsky as chief marketing officer for the U.S. and Canada. Yashinsky comes from key roles at both McDonald's and Applebee's, so we may see the chain start to take bigger chances in the near future.
Related: Forget Snack Wraps, McDonald's menu brings back another favorite
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This story was originally published April 27, 2025 at 8:33 AM.
