It’s Pumpkin-Spice Season. Not Everybody Celebrates.

Someday, perhaps, people will have moved on from their pumpkin spice obsessions. But that is not this day. 

The fall, apart from being a season for decorative gourds, is a high time for the flavoring long associated mostly with pie that is now a nine-figure business. 

Coffee chains, beer brewers, and restaurants use it to enliven drinks and snacks. Pet-food companies make sure Fido doesn’t miss out. Counterprogrammers aim to be there when you’ve had enough, offering up alternatives for the weary. Could be, theorized sandwich meat company Steak-Umm on X recently, that “pumpkin spice is here in august because marketers know there’s nothing to get us motivated during this forsaken month.”

Whatever the case, it’s nearly September. And that means, love it, hate it—and surveys suggest there are signs of fatigue—or don’t even know what we’re talking about here, it’s showtime for the pumpkin.

Take-Home Drinks, Beer—and Snacks for Pets

Starbucks’ (SBUX) lineup in addition to its latte features pumpkin-forward cold brew and chai options. (And you can buy the company’s stuff in grocery stores if you prefer that to its cafes.) Dutch Bros (BROS) has a caramel pumpkin brulee drink. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is offering up a cold version with oat milk. Left Hand Brewing is marketing “Pumpkin Spice Latte Nitro.”

Interest in pumpkin spice has, perhaps predictably, been rising lately; a peek at Google Trends indicates that searches for the term, which were low for most of the summer, have climbed since late July. It’s expected to keep growing, with some estimates suggesting the market’s value will top $2 billion in the coming years.

That’s inspired companies to try all sorts of strategies to capitalize—both on pumpkin lovers and those whose tastes may have drifted.

Dunkin’s fall menu includes pumpkin-spiced drinks, but it’s also touting a “Daydream Refresher” drink associated with pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Fast-food chain Sonic is leaning into caramel flavors for the fall using a campaign with the language “Save a Pumpkin.” A PepsiCo (PEP) site reassures potential customers that “pumpkin is still a crucial part of fall beverage-ing. It just might have to share a piece of the crown with some newcomers.”

Even Starbucks, credited with inflaming this particular craze, is now reminding customers there are other drinks one might try as the air cools, with the company testing non-pumpkin seasonal drinks featuring coconut water and matcha. “Fall flavors,” a Sonic press release said, “can be just as decadent without putting pumpkins to work.”

And then there’s the pet angle. Get Joy, a dog food company based in Connecticut, in late August launched a “limited edition Pumpkin Spice Freeze Dried Raw Superfood Treat.”