Posted in Desserts on June 5, 2026
As the low-risk zone for menu experimentation, dessert concepts can help burger and sports bars balance innovation with consistency. Trusted brand ingredients and flavor infusions enable operators to explore dessert concepts that they can be confident their guests will enjoy on a low-risk trial basis.
Across segments, dessert drives sales. In February 2026, 88% of operators included desserts on their menus, with restaurants leading at 94% menu penetration. Additionally, 51% of operators reported stable dessert sales, while 19% saw increases, reflecting consistent demand for dessert offerings.1
Burger-focused concepts have a long history of success with dessert integrations, and operators in the segment are sinking their teeth into the opportunities they present. The Cheesecake Factory, which offers the OREO Dream Extreme Cheesecake, has introduced over 20 new items to its heavily burger- and dessert-driven menu, resulting in 1.6% same-store sales growth for Q1 2026 and helping to boost revenue by 5.6%.2
From McDonald’s OREO McFlurry and CHIPS AHOY! Frappé to SONIC’s OREO Cheesecake Shake and many other examples, burger-focused operators are leveraging iconic, recognizable formats that integrate nostalgic, customer-favorite ingredients.
Sweet Somethings: Low Risk, High Demand
Given that 60% of restaurants offer them on menus for their high profit potential, and that 53% of consumers report that they had one in the past day, dessert isn’t a nice to have; it’s a necessity for feeding the bottom line.3
Desserts offer a margin-friendly pathway to limited-time concepts that can be used opportunistically to jumpstart traffic or become permanent menu additions depending on sales volume and popularity. They offer a flexible testing ground where innovation can move faster than the core menu without disrupting operational flow.
As a result, desserts are becoming a core part of both menu strategy and the overall customer experience at burger restaurants, shifting from optional add-ons to essential drivers of satisfaction and incremental sales.
Chains with strong snack traffic like White Castle and Krystal are leaning into desserts alongside smaller-format items to capture between-meal occasions, while brands such as Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers demonstrate how dessert-led positioning can deepen loyalty, reaching a 47% loyalty rate.4
Offered across foodservice segments, pre-packaged OREO ice cream novelties from Froneri treat customers to a beloved brand in a convenient grab-and-go format. These single bars, sandwiches, cones and tubs require zero prep and provide burger operators with an ideal way to drive incremental sales.
A twist on classic formats can give customers a taste of something new while retaining a certain familiarity. Easy-to-make recipes like Lava Cake made with Chunky CHIPS AHOY! Cookie Pieces and Cookies ’n’ Creme Hand Pie made with OREO Cookie Pieces combine familiar formats with flavorful infusions to treat customers to the best of both worlds. Consumers are sweet on items like these not because they chase trends outright, but because they update tradition in ways that feel safe and satisfying.
Full Service: Platefuls of Sweet Opportunities
For full-service burger and sports bar operators, the opportunity extends beyond frozen treats into scratch and back-of-house-friendly dessert builds that can flex with trends. Leveraging reports like the 2026 Away-From-Home Industry Trends Guide and peer-inspired insights helps operators identify which flavors, formats and branded inclusions are worth testing before scaling them into loyalty-driving staples.
Trusted suppliers and proven ingredients make it easier to adapt quickly, whether that’s refreshing a classic dessert for limited-time buzz, introducing a new format that fits existing prep and equipment, or menuing a house brownie with a recognizable inclusion like S’mores Fudge Brownies made with OREO Cookie Pieces and HONEY MAID Grahams.
These guardrails are particularly valuable in a segment with 10,000+ full-service units, where maintaining quality standards across locations matters just as much as keeping menus fresh. The result: menu innovation that feels intentional, executable and built to last.
The Need for Speed and Snacks
Menu innovation across the quick-service restaurant segment, including burger chains, is accelerating. But instead of constant novelty, operators are focusing on fewer, higher-performing items with strong margins and repeat appeal.5 Innovation has become more selective and ROI driven, with a focus on desserts as traffic drivers, check builders and brand storytellers. Trusted brand ingredients tell customers your desserts are premium quality, with textures and flavors they enjoy.
What’s more, dessert innovation is increasingly tied to daypart expansion, especially snack occasions, helping burger chains compete outside lunch/dinner windows. Scrumptious snacks like Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Bars made with OREO Cookie Pieces and Stuffed Sugar Cookies made with OREO Cookies hit the spot for customers who hanker for a quick treat to go.
Snack-inspired beverages like shakes, blended drinks and sweet teas are specifically called out as a priority innovation area in 2026, especially for driving incremental snacking occasions like afternoon dayparts. Innovative recipes like the Spiced Banana Crème Brûlée Shake made with NILLA Cookie Pieces or Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake made with CHIPS AHOY! Variegate satisfy consumers’ appetite for snackable, flavor-packed dessert beverages.
With the right recipes and insights, burger operators can bite into bigger incremental sales and higher check averages by taking a strategic approach to dessert development. To get your fill of information and inspiration, be sure to visit our Culinary Center and sign up for our emails.
1 Datassential, Table Stakes Report, February 2026
2 Kuo, Chris, The Cheesecake Factory Posts Higher Profit As Comparable Sales Tick Up, The Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2026
3 Martinez, Tyler, Top 10 Dessert Trends and Statistics in 2026, Toast, March 2, 2026
4 Datassential, Chain Performance Update: LSR Burger Overview, January 2025
5 QSR Media, Restaurants Abandon 'Trend Chasing' to Protect 2026 Margins, February 2026
