With fall in full swing, restaurants and fast food chains often begin offering festive and seasonal items. The most common twist is the addition of pumpkin spice, where many stores and coffee shops begin offering this as early as August.
The pumpkin spice craze took off in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Stores such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros offer pumpkin coffees, lattes, cold brews, and a variety of other pumpkin-flavored items.
Paulyn Namraama (11) says, “I think pumpkin spice is really overrated, especially when it’s everywhere in October.” People tend to have incredibly strong emotions regarding pumpkin spice and its popularity.
Ridima Kazi (11) says, “I look forward to it every year, but honestly, it is becoming overdone.”
Tiger Lilee Flores (11) says, “Pumpkin spice is honestly the best thing ever. It really gets me in a fall mood and makes me feel so happy.” The addition of this makes people feel really festive.
With the start of fall, Starbucks has once again brought back its most popular seasonal items, and this year, there are both familiar favorites and new additions. The return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte marks the unofficial start of the autumn season.
Alongside it, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai have also made their comeback. A new feature on the 2025 menu is the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado, a nutty twist that’s quickly becoming a favorite among coffee lovers.
Whether students are stopping by for a cozy pumpkin drink before class or grabbing a quick breakfast, Starbucks’ fall menu continues to be a seasonal favorite. With its blend of sweet, spiced, and savory flavors, this year’s lineup offers something for everyone to enjoy.
According to Nielsen data, pumpkin-flavored products bring in over $800 million in U.S. sales each year. Starbucks alone has sold more than 600 million Pumpkin Spice Lattes since the drink’s debut in 2003.
While Starbucks popularized the trend, other chains have followed. Dutch Bros, Dunkin’, and Peet’s Coffee all launched their own versions of pumpkin drinks. Even fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme offer pumpkin-flavored coffees and donuts during the fall season, showing how widespread the trend has become.
Pumpkin spice isn’t limited to coffee anymore. Grocery stores now sell everything from pumpkin-flavored Cheerios to pumpkin spice cream cheese. The popularity of it has only increased rapidly in recent years
Personally, I think pumpkin spice is okay, but usually a bit too sweet. It’s nice once or twice a season, but after that, the flavor can start to feel overpowering.
Love it or hate it, pumpkin spice remains one of the most recognizable and debated flavors of fall.
