Fully franchised coffee chain BIGGBY® COFFEE is executing its most layered seasonal LTO strategy in recent memory, deploying a fall menu across all 460-plus locations in 13 states from Aug. 20 through Nov. 1 — with a distinct Halloween sub-lineup activating Oct. 1.
The seasonal push is significant for a 100%-franchised, 460-unit regional chain competing against national players for fall daypart share. Pumpkin spice remains the anchor flavor in the specialty-coffee segment each autumn, and BIGGBY is leaning into breadth rather than a single hero SKU, fielding six pumpkin-forward beverages including the White Pumpkin Latte, Chumpkin (pumpkin-chai), Sweet Foam Pumpkin Cold Brew, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and the new Jack-O-Lantern Latte (pumpkin, vanilla, marshmallow). A Pumpkin Sweet Foam add-on modifier — applicable to any beverage — extends the flavor across the full menu and provides an incremental ticket-lift mechanic.
Apple & Maple Bourbon
For operators tracking category mix, BIGGBY's apple cider platform gives the chain a second fall flavor pillar that broadens appeal beyond coffee drinkers. The Apple Cider lineup returns with the Caramel Apple Cider, Caramel Apple Creme Freeze, CiderBerry Red Bull® Mocktail, and the Chaider. Maple Bourbon — a recipe the chain introduced in 2020 — comes back as both a latte and a Sweet Foam Cold Brew, targeting the premium cold-coffee daypart that has driven ticket averages across the specialty-coffee segment. Regional chains have increasingly used limited-time cold-brew variants to compete on perceived innovation parity with larger QSR coffee programs, and the format here is consistent with that trend. For related analysis on cold-brew's role in specialty-coffee LTO strategy, see our QSR beverage coverage.
Food and Promotions
On the food side, the Maple Waffle Sandwich — a Belgian-style waffle built with real maple syrup and sugar pearls, available with egg, cheddar, sausage, or bacon combinations — returned Aug. 20. BIGGBY is also adding Mini Pumpkin Cream Cookies, available as a three-pack or single unit on the Kids Menu, which strengthens family daypart and grab-and-go ticket opportunities. Bundling snack-format food items with beverage occasions is a proven average-check strategy for coffee franchises with sub-$10 ticket averages.
The chain is also running a promotional calendar designed to build visit frequency throughout the season. "Friday Night (De)Lights" offers any 20-ounce specialty beverage for $5.00 every Friday through Oct. 30 — a straightforward traffic-driving mechanic aimed at the after-school and evening dayparts that align with fall high school sports schedules. School Staff Appreciation Week (Sept. 8–11) offers any 16-ounce beverage for $1.99 with a valid school ID, and National Coffee Day (Sept. 29) features a 99-cent 16-ounce brewed coffee or a $1.99 Mocha Mocha Latte. The Halloween window (Oct. 1–31) includes a free kid's drink with costume, buy-one-get-one "Boo-d" sticker redemptions on select beverages, and pumpkin-carving stencils for at-home family engagement. BIGGBY will also use International Coffee Day (Oct. 1) to spotlight its farm-direct sourcing relationships — a brand-differentiation lever increasingly common among specialty-coffee franchises navigating consumer interest in supply-chain transparency.
For franchise operators, the density of these promotions matters as a unit-economics variable: deeply discounted LTO prices compress per-ticket revenue but can drive traffic volume and loyalty enrollment that support longer-term AUV trends. BIGGBY's fully franchised model means all promotional execution falls to franchisee operators; the success of a system-wide seasonal push at this scale reflects the chain's operational alignment across 13 states. Franchisee development context and area development dynamics in the Midwest coffee segment are worth watching as BIGGBY targets continued unit growth. See our franchise development coverage for regional coffee chain expansion benchmarks.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
