KANSAS CITY — Restaurant operators are leaning into holiday flavors with limited-time offerings.

Wendy’s has debuted three fall menu additions. The items include the salted caramel frosty, the mushroom bacon burger, featuring Muenster cheese, roasted mushrooms, bacon and a garlic spread, and a revitalized taco salad with a new salsa dressing, roasted corn, tortilla strips and chili.

“Wendy’s fall menu items were crafted to bring both comfort and joy to our customers, tapping into the flavors they crave as temperatures drop,” said John Li, vice president of culinary innovation for Wendy’s. “From the sweetness of salted caramel with our famous frosty to the savory richness of mushroom bacon cheeseburger and zesty taco salad, we’re launching new menu items with depth and variety for every fan.”

St. Louis-based Panera Bread is exploring dippable formats with its limited-edition ciabatta dippers. The French dipper combines marinated steak, provolone cheese, asiago cheese and a garlic aioli drizzle with a dipping portion of french onion soup, and the spicy chicken dipper mixes grilled chicken, salsa verde and provolone cheese with tomato soup.

“At Panera, our guests have shown us just how much they enjoy pairing menu items, especially dipping their sandwiches into our signature soups,” said Mark Shambura, chief marketing officer at Panera Bread. “Inspired by this love for creative combinations, we’ve crafted two delicious new menu items for guests to ditch the spoon and embrace the dip.”

Jack in the Box is innovating on the success of its smashed burger format, which debuted last year, with the launch of the sourdough smashed Jack. The LTO boasts a quarter pound smashed burger patty topped with American cheese, pickles, grilled onions and Jack’s Boss Sauce served on the company’s sourdough bread.

“If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that our customers love the smash patty we created and are hungry for a new way to try it,” said Ryan Ostrom, chief marketing officer at Jack in the Box. “The new Sourdough Smashed Jack is another testament to the dedication our culinary team has to product development and innovation, and finding the perfect balance of flavors.”