With the arrival of summer comes too the arrival of limited time only specialty drinks being served in restaurants and food chains. These specialty drinks which include flavored ice teas, frozen coffees, flavored lemonades, etc. are high margin drinks as the customer is more than willing to pay extra for these sorts of beverages; especially during the summer months where the idea of cooling off with a nice cold beverage is very attractive. Guests are willing to pay extra for a beverage that cannot be easily obtained in a grocery store (such as a soda) and that is not simple enough to make at home (blended beverages).

Soda company sales are declining as guests continue to opt for alternatives to bottled water and sugary or diet sodas. Sonic, the drive-in fast food chain, has launched a Summer of Shakes campaign with half-price shakes after 8 pm. According to a recent report by newBrandAnalytics, a social media monitoring and online management company, the mention of Sonic’s shakes and slushes on social media was off the charts.

To read more about the summer beverage trends and what other restaurants will be offering, click here