Looking for an easy sales win with your drinks menu this month? A limited-time offer (LTO) might be your best bet. Short-term drink specials are built to create urgency, drive traffic, and get people talking, and they’ve become a go-to strategy for coffee shops, cafés, and bars looking to make an impact, giving their customers a real reason to visit. These specialty drinks won’t last.
Why Bother With LTOs?
Let’s take a look at the numbers. According to Technomic, 48% of F&B customers try a new LTO every month. For 30% of people aged 18-44 that stat jumps up to a new purchase every single week. LTOs can increase sales by as much as 20%, and 81% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that’s running an LTO.
That means a tangible impact on foot traffic and revenue. And if your drinks are colorful, creative, and eye-catching enough to end up on social media? Even better. One standout photo or video could put your LTO in front of hundreds (or thousands) of potential new customers.
Why Summer Is Prime Time to Launch LTOs
There’s no better season to try an LTO than summer. Think vibrant iced matchas, peach teas with floral foam, or bold cold brews layered with house-made syrups. Summer drinks are naturally eye-catching, especially when you’re using ingredients like beet powder, turmeric, matcha, or butterfly pea flower to get those stunning shades.
Add That Wow Factor With Ripples Prints
If you want to make your summer LTO truly stand out, start with the drink, but don’t stop there. Ripples prints are the easiest way to make your LTOs stand out. Whether breezy travel and beach prints from the design library or a picture of your customers’ latest obsession, finishing off your LTO with a limited-time print makes your drinks more personal, more fun, and more likely to get shared.
Adding a Ripples print on top of your drink will give you that final detail that takes a beverage from “menu item” to “moment.”
Still Need Summer Menu Inspiration? Try the TikTok-Famous Matcha Cloud
The matcha cloud is having a moment on social media, and it’s tailor-made for customization. Our own social media manager Linda (if you follow us, you definitely know her face) crafted a Ripples-ready version that’s ready for your menu.
Her take includes a barista blend of non-dairy half and half creamer and matcha, whisked to perfection and slowly poured over a glass of pebble ice and coconut water. This creates the perfectly smooth surface you’ll need for your Ripples print “canvas.” Add a butterfly print on top, and suddenly you’ve got a new twist on a current trend that will get new people through the door.
@drink.ripples.official Hey hey hey cafe owners— are you serving up the perfect blend of virality + customization?
♬ Hey Lover – The Daughters Of Eve
And Summer LTOs Are Great Practice for Fall PSLs
What drink is synonymous with falling leaves and colder weather? If you said pumpkin spice latte you’re either an industry expert or you’ve seen any September Starbucks’ ad from the last twenty years.
By now you know seasonal drinks are a trend worth following or you risk falling behind. And PSLs are THE Drink for sweater weather.
This year the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is back on the menu on August 26th, and a bar owner told us they’re scheduling their own pumpkin beer production run so they’re ready to match Starbucks’ release date.
If LTOs are a new strategy, using the next few weeks as a trial run for a short seasonal menu is the perfect way to set your team up for success for a successful round of Autumn-themed drinks.
You don’t want to be scrambling when PSL season arrives. Be sure you’re ready.
The Bottom Line
Limited-time offers aren’t just a trend, they’re a proven way to build buzz, test new menu ideas, and keep customers engaged all year long, especially when you’ve got the Ripple Maker drink printer adding that extra layer of personalization and shareability.
If you haven’t yet, launch your first limited-time drink offer now and see what impact it can have on your bottom line.
