La Colombe Launches Pumpkin Spice Latte Weeks Before Starbucks
The Philadelphia-based coffee chain is debuting its seasonal drink on August 4, beating Starbucks to market by several weeks.
La Colombe is kicking off the fall season early by launching its Pumpkin Spice Draft Latte on August 4, weeks ahead of Starbucks' traditional late-August debut of its iconic fall menu. This early release taps into a growing consumer appetite for seasonal flavors, with research commissioned by La Colombe indicating that approximately 70 percent of U.S. consumers anticipate the return of pumpkin spice.
The La Colombe Pumpkin Spice Draft Latte is made with real pumpkin purée blended with spices, offering a taste the company describes as smoother and less sweet than traditional versions. The drink will be available in all La Colombe cafes starting August 4.
Starbucks is set to launch its fall menu on August 25, featuring its well-known Pumpkin Spice Latte alongside new additions like an Iced Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso, Pumpkin Spice Chai, and Iced Pumpkin Cream Matcha. The coffee giant will also reintroduce fan favorites such as the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino.
While Starbucks has popularized the pumpkin spice latte, it was not the first to offer a pumpkin-flavored coffee. Independent coffee shops had served similar drinks for years before Starbucks introduced its version in 2003. The initial Starbucks latte used a flavored syrup rather than real pumpkin, a formulation that was updated in 2015 to include real pumpkin purée in response to consumer demand for simpler ingredients. Hundreds of millions of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes have been sold globally since its debut, cementing its status as a highly successful seasonal beverage.
The widespread popularity of pumpkin spice has fueled a significant "pumpkin spice economy," with retailers releasing a vast array of themed products annually. The early release strategy by companies like La Colombe reflects a broader trend across various retail sectors, where seasonal items are increasingly launched earlier in the year to capture consumer attention and capitalize on demand.