Subway, Hardee's and Bonchon send out new sandwiches

Restaurant chains are putting summer twists on menu favorites, with sandwiches, tacos, pizza, beverages and seafood all getting a seasonal refresh. A variety of ingredients and flavors are powering menu innovation, turning the Summer of ’24 into what seems like a record-breaking time for new items and limited-time offers.

Three new sandwiches debuted at Subway as the summer of Footlongs continues. Joining the Subway Series menu of chef-curated subs is The Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken, The Spicy Nacho Chicken and The Cheesy Garlic Steak. Guests can also try out the chain’s new Cheddar Cheese sauce, a creamy blend of sharp cheddar, American cheese and Parmesan, along with SubKrunch, a crispy, savory sandwich topping that layers on texture and flavor.

Barbecue flavors tend to trend in summer, and Hardee’s is on board with its BBQ Chip Glazed Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich and Chicken Tenders, both in test through Sept. 3 at participating locations in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Louisville, Kentucky, and Dothan, Alabama. The sandwich is topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo while the tenders are covered with BBQ Chip-flavored glaze. Also new is Hardee’s BLT platform featuring a BLT Frisco Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich and BLT Frisco Angus Burger.

A new Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich popped out of the pipeline at Bonchon. The build includes a double-fried chicken breast to make it extra-crispy with one of three sauces hand-brushed on top to keep it crisp. Sauce choices include Soy Garlic, Spicy and Korean BBQ. The sandwich is served on a warm brioche bun with cole slaw on top.  

Two cocktails join the summer list at BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse: The Lucky Ducky and Triple Patron Guava Rita. The first is a mix of tequila, coconut rum, vodka, peach schnapps, blue Curacao, sweet and sour, pineapple juice and lemon and lime. It’s served in a miniature bathtub that can be purchased for $10. On the food side, BJs is introducing Chili Crunch Pot Stickers, Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp and crispy Onion Rings with Sriracha aioli and ranch for dipping.

Chicken Finger Tacos are summer’s newest mashup at Zaxbys. Two limited-time varieties are on hand: Avocado Ranch BLT and Chipotle Ranch with Pico, both served with warm flour tortillas. The Avocado Ranch features a hand-breaded chicken finger between sliced Roma tomatoes, hickory smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, cheddar-Jack cheese and pico de gallo with Chipotle Ranch sauce, while the Chipotle Ranch version has the same combo minus the bacon and tomatoes. For dessert, Fried Cheesecake Bites with Strawberry Sauce join the menu—eight pull-apart, poppable, deep-fried cheesecake bites.

Spam stars at Biscuitville, bringing a bit of nostalgia to the menu. Guests can dig into a Spam Classic Crunch with egg, cheese and hashbrowns; Spamtastic sandwich with ham, sausage, bacon, egg and cheese; Spam Classic with egg and cheese, and Spam Loaded Fries. Peach-flavored beverages are also on offer, including Peaches & Cream Soda, Peach Soda, Peach Iced Tea and Peach Lemonade. And several bakery treats return to the menu, such as Honey Buns, Classic Blueberry Muffins, Triple Chocolate Cookies, Apple Blossoms and Raspberry Swirls.

Chip City Cookies is also tapping into nostalgia through a collaboration with Kellanova, makers of Eggo waffles. The new limited-edition Blueberry Eggo Waffle Cookie features a maple-flavored brown sugar cookie mixed with dried blueberries, then topped with maple frosting and Eggo Grahams. The mashup is available at Chip City locations the last weekend in July.

S’mores, another nostalgic treat, inspire two summer coffee drinks at Dunkin’. Bonfire S’Mores Frozen Coffee is a creamy blend of s’mores and vanilla flavors, topped with whipped cream, mocha drizzle and graham crumbs. There’s also S’mores Cold Brew with marshmallow cold foam and a S’mores Donut with marshmallow-flavored filling, chocolate icing and graham crumbles. For those who need more of a pick-me-up, Dunkin’ has the Tornado Twist Sparkd’ energy drink with berry burst and peach sunshine flavors.

The Heatwave 7 Energy Chiller is revving up the menu at 7 Brew, an energy drink with a zesty blend of orange, lime and lemon concentrate. To cool down, guests can try Sunny 7 Green Tea infused with peach and passion fruit, Cocoberry Lemonade Chiller with flavors of raspberry and coconut, Fruit Roll Up Iced Lemonade featuring lavender and strawberry, and Pink Paradise Lemon Freeze, a tropical blend of raspberry, cherry and watermelon. For sweet drink fans there’s Funnel Cake Macchiato.

The Cookies & Cream collection leads off the summer lineup at Bigbby Coffee. It includes a Sweet Foam Cold Brew, Frozen Latte and caffeine-free Creme Freeze. Poolside Punch is also making a splash, a mocktail enhanced with the Red Bull Summer Edition flavor of Curuba Elderflower. For hungry customers, Bigbby has a Chorizo Cheddar Bragel on the menu as well as Macarons.

Cream-filled cookies also figure into the new Oreo Blender at Scooter’s Coffee. It’s a combo of ice cream, white mocha sauce and Oreo pieces topped with whipped cream. For an accompanying snack, there are Oreo Cake Bites filled with vanilla frosting and glazed with candy coating. Those needing to power up can opt for Electric Peach Scoot! Energy Infusion with tart cherry, pomegranate and peach flavors, while coffee lovers can try Caramelicious Crème Cold Brew. On the fruity side are a Strawberry Lime Quencher and Pineapple Mint Quencher boosted with green coffee extract.

PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans launched five chilly beverages to beat the heat. The quintet includes Butter Pecan Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam and Butter Pecan Velvet Ice in the coffee category, and Watermelon Tropics Red Bull Infusion, Very Berry Red Bull Infusion and Tropical Splash Iced Lemonade among the non-coffee drinks. The latter is based on Island Oasis Lemonade with watermelon and coconut over ice.

The Baja Watermelon Salad makes a comeback at Salata Salad Kitchen this summer. It’s a toss of the chain’s lettuce mix, beets, edamame, cilantro, feta cheese and watermelon with a lemon vinaigrette. A suggested protein add-on is Spicy Chipotle Shrimp. Fresh watermelon is also available to accompany any entree order.

The Fresh Tomato Pie, a popular seasonal pizza, returns to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana through Sept. 29. The pie features a blend of fresh local tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, basil, grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a touch of imported olive oil, all atop the pizza concept’s signature crispy yet chewy, slightly charred crust.

Cheeseburger Pizza and Apple of My Pie Dessert Pizza are summer LTOs at Mountain Mike’s Pizza for July and August. The former combines beef, crispy bacon, onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, then is topped with ripe tomatoes and crunchy dill pickles on Thousand Island dressing, evoking the flavors of a classic cheeseburger. The dessert pizza bakes apple pie filling, brown sugar and cinnamon on butter-covered dough with a dusting of mozzarella and powdered sugar.

The latest menu from Shuckin’ Shack revolves around summery seafood dishes. Highlights include the Flo’ Boy, a flounder sandwich on French bread with tomato, house-made mustard and Cajun slaw, and the Summer Sampler with creamy crab salad, citrusy ceviche and fresh ahi tuna tartare. Guests can order refreshing cocktails along with the seafood specials, such as White Sangria, rum-based Spike Lemon and Key Lime Crush, a blend of vodka, lime juice, Coco Lopez and Sprite.

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard teamed up with Nerds candy company to create Nerds Grape-Flavored Ice. The flavor is sweet and tangy and gets a bit of crunch from the Nerds candies. The treats chain is also unveiling Baby Nerds as a dessert topping. Rita’s is making the official introduction of the downsized candies before they debut in the quick-service segment next year.