Welcome to the Dessert Showdown, the ninth showdown from Nation’s Restaurant News. In this iteration, we are pitting seven emerging dessert brands against each other to determine which one our readers think is the most exciting.
It’s no secret that dessert is trending among consumers. Amid rising prices at QSRs and casual-dining, many are turning to dessert and snack brands for a midday pick-me-up rather than a full meal.
The rise of Crumbl is a clear indication of that, but also, major chains like Wendy’s, KFC, and Subway are jumping into the trend too, offering more desserts than ever before.
According to Technomic, ice cream makes up 17.5% of dessert menu items, while cookies account for 10.6%.
This month’s Dessert Showdown features brands that specialize in donuts, ice cream, and cookies. Some of them are over 100 years old and others have opened in the past decade.
Check out the seven dessert chains above and vote for your favorite on our LinkedIn or Instagram pages. The winner will be announced at the end of June.