14 Restaurant Chains Launching Exciting New Menu Items In April

Looking to branch out from your usual fast-food or chain restaurant orders? If so, this month is already shaping up to be a stellar time for foodies with a craving to try something new.

Restaurant chains are always evolving their food selections and introducing exciting new offerings alongside their popular mainstays. April 2024, unsurprisingly, is no exception to this trend. Though the month is still young, some of America's biggest restaurant brands have already announced a slew of interesting new items coming to menus across the country. Some of the additions are completely brand-new, while others are making their grand return years after being discontinued (often to the outrage of fans).

From Starbucks to Subway, read on for all the restaurant chains launching exciting new offerings this month. And make sure to keep an eye out for other new innovations at your favorite eateries throughout April since restaurant chains debut new options to nosh and sip on pretty much every day.

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A will make a rare addition to its entrée selection on April 8 with the debut of its new Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich. It comes with a boneless chicken breast, green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, soft seasoned cheddar cheese, and applewood smoked bacon on a toasted cross-cut pretzel bun. Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce will also be served on the side. The new sandwich will only be available as a test item in Raleigh, N.C., for a limited time, but fans can hope that the limited launch is successful enough to support a wider rollout in the future.

Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide will launch four brand-new Cherry Berry drinks on April 8:

• Cherry Berry Sunjoy: Chick-fil-A's classic Sunjoy (a combination of lemonade and sweetened iced tea) blended with cherry, blueberry, and cranberry flavors.
• Cherry Berry Lemonade: Classic lemonade mixed with cherry, blueberry, and cranberry flavors.
• Cherry Berry Iced Tea: Classic iced tea mixed with cherry, blueberry, and cranberry flavors.
• Cherry Berry Frosted Lemonade: Lemonade or diet lemonade blended with Chick-fil-A's vanilla-flavored Icedream dessert and cherry, blueberry, and cranberry flavors.

These will only be available for a limited time once they hit menus, so grab them while you can!

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Starbucks

Last month, Starbucks rolled out its first-ever lavender beverages as part of its spring menu, including an Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha and an Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte. And earlier this week, the coffee chain expanded its lavender drink line with a caffeine-free new addition: the Iced Lavender Oatmilk Chill. It features creamy oat milk with notes of lavender flavor that's shaken with ice and a scoop of dragonfruit.

Even if none of Starbucks' official lavender beverages don't strike your fancy, you can also customize other drinks to include the floral flavor. But don't wait too long to stop by your local Starbucks if you're interested in trying the lavender line, since it will only be available for a limited time.

KFC

In 2023, KFC joined the fast-food chicken nugget wars with the debut of its Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets. And on April 1, the chain gave fans even more ways to enjoy those hand-breaded morsels with the launch of a new Saucy Nugget line.

The collection of sauce-covered nuggets includes five flavors: Honey Sriracha, Korean BBQ, Sticky Chicky Sweet 'n Sour Sauce, Nashville Hot, and Georgia Gold. KFC also just expanded its dessert selection with new Apple Pie Poppers, mini treats that feature a buttery, flaky crust with a warm apple pie filling. Customers can find the new offerings now at participating locations nationwide.

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Burger King

The weather is finally getting warmer, and Burger King is ushering in spring with a brand-new Frozen Cotton Candy beverage. Slated to hit menus on April 11, the drink is a vibrant light blue color with blue raspberry and cotton candy flavors. It will only be available for a limited time, so don't wait too long to stop by your local Burger King if you're interested in trying one.

Alongside the Frozen Cotton Candy beverage, Burger King will also introduce a new cold foam cloud topping that customers can add to any of the chain's frozen drinks for an additional charge.

Bojangles

Bojangles fan, rejoice! Two years after the popular regional chicken chain retired its fan-favorite Bo Sauce, the condiment is finally back on the menu.

Bo Sauce is a creamy, tangy, and sweet concoction that gets an extra boost of flavor from herbs and spices. In great news for any particularly diehard fans, Bojangles also plans to start selling bottled versions of its Bo Sauce, Honey Mustard, and BBQ at select retailers starting this month. The sauces will be available in 1,500 stores across the Southeast, including Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Ingles, KJ's, Lowes Foods, and Piggly Wiggly locations.

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Subway

Subway made major headlines last month when it announced plans to switch from Coca-Cola products to Pepsi products in the United States starting in 2025. That isn't the only big news that the chain has dropped in recent days, however.

Subway just announced that a whole new line of wraps will debut at restaurants nationwide on April 11. All of the new wraps will be served on a lavash-style flatbread with a soft and bubbly texture, the chain's first new bread option in three years, according to a press release. The lineup includes four hearty options:

• Homestyle Chicken Salad—a new chicken salad made from rotisserie-style poultry and mayo, topped with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
• Honey Mustard Chicken—rotisserie-style chicken topped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, Monterey cheddar cheese, and sweet honey mustard sauce.
• Turkey, Bacon & Avocado—oven-roasted turkey, bacon, and smashed avocado topped with tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, Monterey cheddar cheese, and peppercorn ranch sauce.
• Cali Caprese—BelGioioso fresh mozzarella and avocado topped with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, roasted garlic aioli, and Subway's MVP Parmesan Vinaigrette.

Noodles & Company

Years after Noodles & Company discontinued one of its most popular offerings, the fan-favorite dish is finally making its grand return this month.

That's right! Steak Stroganoff is officially rejoining the Noodles & Company menu on April 10. It comes with egg noodles in a mushroom sherry cream sauce, fresh herbs, cracked pepper, roasted mushrooms, marinated steak, parmesan cheese, and Italian parsley. Guests will be able to score a bowl of Steak Stroganoff for $10.95 for a limited time before it disappears from menus once again.

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Carvel

The popular East Coast ice cream chain Carvel dug far back into its recipe archives for its latest treat. In honor of its 90th birthday, the chain just debuted a new twist on the Orange Dreamy Creamy flavor that it offered in the 1970s. Carvel is showcasing the nostalgic combination of orange and vanilla in six limited-time items:

• Orange Dreamy Creamy Soft Serve—a creamy orange version of Carvel's classic soft serve.
• Orange Dreamy Creamy Scooped—Orange Dreamy Creamy soft serve made with Golden Oreos and orange marshmallow.
• Orange Creamy Dreamy Shake—Orange Dreamy Creamy soft serve that's hand-spun to a creamy, sippable consistency.
• Orange Dreamy Creamy Flying Saucer—Orange Dreamy Creamy soft serve sandwiched between two Flying Saucer chocolate wafers.
• Orange Dreamy Creamy Ice Cream Pop—an Orange Dreamy Creamy soft serve pop dipped in white chocolate bonnet.
• Orange Dreamy Creamy Sundae Dasher—layers of Orange Dreamy Creamy soft serve, orange marshmallow, and Golden Oreos topped with whipped cream and more orange marshmallow. (This option is an online exclusive only available when ordering online through the Carvel website or through a delivery service like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats.)

All of these new offerings became available at Carvel stores on April 1, but they'll only stick around for a limited time.

Taco John's

A Mexican-inspired fast-food brand may be the last place you'd expect to find pizza, but that could change thanks to an exciting new launch at Taco John's.

The chain just debuted a brand-new Taco Pizza at nearly 400 locations across the country. It starts with a 10-inch corn and wheat flour crust that's topped with refried beans, seasoned beef, a four-cheese blend, Fiesta sauce, and crunchy tortilla strips. The pizza is baked until it's crispy and melty, then finished with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.

Customers can score the new menu item for $9.99 in stores and at Taco John's drive-thrus for a limited time. Every Thursday throughout April, members of Taco John's Bigger Bolder Rewards loyalty program can score a $2 discount on Taco Pizzas when they enter the promo code "TACOPIZZA" in the chain's app.

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Whataburger

Whataburger may technically be a fast-food chain, but it wants to evoke the steakhouse experience with its latest burger creation: the Bacon Steakhouse Double. Available now through June 30, it features two beef patties, two slices of melted aged cheddar, smoky bacon, crispy fried onions, and tangy steak sauce on a toasted bun.

In news that will surely delight loyal Whataburger fans, the chain has also decided to keep its limited-edition boneless WhataWings that debuted in January on the menu for the rest of the year due to fierce customer demand. Customers can order them plain or tossed in their sauce of choice. The sauce options currently include Honey Butter, Buffalo, Honey BBQ, and Sweet & Spicy.

IHOP

April is shaping up to be a major month for new menu launches at IHOP. The chain just announced that will serve the Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola that first launched in 2022 at restaurants nationwide for a limited time starting on April 1. But that's far from the only new offering joining the IHOP menu right now.

The breakfast chain is currently offering Cinnamon Apple Pecan Pancakes topped with cinnamon apples, dulce de leche sauce, pecans, and whipped topping as its Pancake of the Month for April. Additionally, IHOP just expanded its core menu with several sweet and savory options, including a Classic Chicken Sandwich, Kids French Toast Sticks, and a Watermelon Splasher beverage made from lemonade, lemon-lime soda, and watermelon syrup.

To top it all off, IHOP is also celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog with six new themed menu items. Highlights include Sonic's Blue Blur Special, which comes with four buttermilk pancakes topped with double the blueberries, as well as Amy's Sweet Strawberry Delight, which is a waffle quarter topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and fresh strawberries. Make sure to check out the IHOP announcement or website for more details on all the new offerings.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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TGI Fridays

The annual deadline to file taxes is coming up fast on April 15, but TGI Fridays wants to make tax season at least a little more palatable with its latest beverage: the Tax Break. The new cocktail features a mix of 1800 Silver Tequila, citrus, agave, strawberry, and passionfruit. It's also served with a sidekick of Hennessy V.S. that TGI Fridays hopes will be "perfect for softening the blow of owing money after filing or rejoicing in the celebration of receiving a refund," according to a press release. Customers can score the drink at participating locations for $7 until April 30.

Alongside the limited-edition cocktail, TGI Fridays is rolling out several tantalizing deals for customers this month. They include a new $5 Happy Hour available at participating locations Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. until closing time. Guests who drop by during those hours can enjoy a range of cocktails and bites for $5 each. Through April 30, Fridays Rewards members can also score a free entrée when purchasing another entrée of equal or lesser value.

Fogo de Chão

Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão is rolling out a sizable selection of exciting new menu items to celebrate spring. The new offerings range from sharable plates to salads to desserts and cocktails. There are more than a dozen seasonal spring items in total, all of which can be viewed on the Fogo de Chão announcement, but here are some of the highlights:

• Picanha Tartare—hand-chopped picanha beef, fresh egg, ground mustard, garlic chips, pickled onions, capers, olives, and chimichurri mixed tableside and served with crispy toasts.
• Duck Pâté Crostini—duck pâté served two ways. One variety comes w with sliced apple and honey, while the other comes with caramelized onion and fig.
• Crispy Chickpea Kale Salad—available at Fogo de Chão's Market Table (which is sort of a souped-up salad bar), this salad comes with crispy chickpeas, radicchio, and baby kale tossed in a parmesan ranch dressing.
• Spring Hummus—fresh hummus blended with spring herbs and topped with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, feta, and extra virgin olive oil.
• Cheesecake Brûlée—New York-style cheesecake with caramelized sugar served with a rich berry sauce.

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Shipley Do-Nuts

Oreo cookies are popping up on fast-food menus all the time nowadays. Look no further than Krispy Kreme's new Total Solar Eclipse Doughnut topped with Oreo buttercream and a whole Oreo cookie, or the Oreo McFlurry that has become a staple on the McDonald's dessert menu. Now, the doughnut and kolache chain Shipley Do-Nuts is getting in on the Oreo action with its new Oreo-topped Cookies N' Dream flavor.

The limited-edition doughnuts are available at all of Shipley's locations now through June 30 or while supplies last. Anyone who signs up for the chain's Do-Happy Rewards loyalty program can score one of the new doughnuts for free with any purchase through April 7.

Nutrition information has been included when available.