It’s the summer of food merch drops

Food brands are increasingly looking for ways to introduce themselves among new audiences, and partnering with another well-known brand is a relatively straightforward way to do so. But drops also provide the added benefit of positioning a restaurant chain or a coffee house as a driver of cool products.

What also makes this line of co-branded merch drops different is that there appears to be a strategic shift toward more thoughtful and functional designs that fit into customers’ everyday lifestyle.

“Our marketing team has done a great job putting us back in front of culture, from Coachella and soccer captain cup sleeves to a Miffy merch drop and our viral pink Bearistas,” Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. “We’re creating moments that people notice, talk about and want to be a part of.”

Food brands build out merch drops 

As one of the earlier examples of brands leaning into lifestyle merch, Starbucks has pursued a steady stream of drops over the past year. Many of them, like the Dandy collaboration, are tied to new beverage items. This summer, Starbucks is heavily promoting a new lineup of citrus-infused drinks inspired by nostalgic orange cream flavors.

Dandy, a Southern California-based fashion brand, partnered with Starbucks on a collection that includes travel cups, hats and Dandy’s popular embroidered sweatshirts.

According to Starbucks, the collection “is the culminating chapter of Starbucks summer road trip story.” It’s available in select coffeehouses in the U.S. and Canada while supplies last.

Similarly, Starbucks competitor Dunkin’ announced a series of creator-led collaborations this summer. In addition to the Parke collaboration, Dunkin’ partnered with Kylie Jenner on a “King Kylie” collaboration. Dunkin’ even took the step of launching an official online merch shop, DunkinRunsOnMerch.com, in late 2025, in time for its “Wicked” collection.

Michael Rochon, head of growth, U.S. at brand tracking platform Tracksuit, said that restaurant merchandise has become another way for brands to strengthen their relationship with consumers.

Rochon pointed to Dunkin’s collaboration strategy as a company with already high brand recognition. Dunkin’ has an 87% awareness versus the coffee category average of 81%, according to Tracsuit data. However, further down the funnel, the brand is gaining ground with women in particular. 

“Over the past six months, preference for Dunkin’ among women has increased four percentage points to 25%,” Rochon said, citing Tracksuit’s July 2026 proprietary surveys tracking U.S. coffee shop chains. Branded collaborations like the Parke and Kylie Jenner partnerships are an opportunity to build on that momentum. “A fashion partner like Parke is especially well suited to that female-led audience,” he said.

More thoughtful designs 

As saturation sets in, restaurants and brands are putting more effort into their collaborative collections to set them apart. A recent example is the Gap x Los Tacos No.1 fashion collection, inspired by the wardrobes of chefs and restaurant staff, which dropped in July. The collection puts a twist on Gap classics, including tees and logo hoodies, with graphics by artist Steve Powers, whose work can be spotted at New York’s Los Tacos No.1 locations.

Also this summer, Lands’ End teamed up with convenience store chain Wawa to create a Wawa-branded “Shorti Tote.” The beach tote was specifically designed “to get your Wawa Shorti hoagie safely to the sand,” according to the release. 

The tote is part of a three-piece Lands’ End x Wawa collection that includes a graphic T-Shirt and a bag charm. The collection was available on LandsEnd.com, with limited quantities of The Shorti Tote also sold at select Wawa locations in New Jersey and on Wawa’s website while supplies last. The hoagie tote has sold out since the collection’s July 15 launch.

According to Lands’ End, the collaboration blends the brand’s signature coastal style with Wawa’s branding to celebrate the idea of unplugging and spending the summer at the beach. As part of the collection’s launch campaign, Wawa customers can build their own “Analog Summer Shorti” sandwich at Wawa’s ordering kiosks.

Kym Maas, president, Lands’ End consumer and chief creative officer, told Modern Retail, “This collaboration is a great example of how we approach product innovation at Lands’ End.” The brand wanted to create a solution for the ritual of transporting a sub sandwich to the beach.

At the same time, the design team wanted the tote to instantly evoke Wawa’s playful and loyal following. “We had a tote with dimensions that happened to perfectly fit a Wawa Shorti, making it equal parts conversation starter and functional beach accessory,” Maas said. 

Maas said the response has exceeded the company’s expectations, with the Shorti Tote selling out on LandsEnd.com in just two hours. Since then, Maas said the two companies have seen enthusiasm across social media, particularly across the Philadelphia and New Jersey markets where people are making trips to participating Wawa locations to track down the remaining inventory. 

“It has been exciting to watch the tote become a true fan collectible,” Maas said. “But what’s been especially fun is seeing how far the enthusiasm has reached.” The tote has especially attracted younger demographics that love limited-edition drops and unexpected brand collaborations, she added.

Doug Martin, chief marketing officer at Wawa, said the collection with Lands’ End has been a major step for Wawa as one of its first lifestyle collaborations. “We just loved seeing how the Shorti tote brightened the days of our customers, and we will continue to explore other ways to do just that,” Martin said in an email. 

“The strongest collaborations aren’t just about selling apparel or accessories,” Rochon said. “They’re also about creating products or experiences that feel authentic to both brands and give consumers a new reason to engage.” 

When done well, Rochon said, these drops can help keep the brand in consumers’ everyday lives beyond the restaurant experience. “It also lets a brand tap into its partner’s cultural relevance and reach new audiences, which can drive additional growth,” he said.