It’s the summer of food merch drops

Store of the Future // August 4, 2026 It’s the summer of food merch drops By Gabriela Barkho Lands' End x Wawa The landscape of restaurant and food marketing is increasingly being reshaped by high-profile merch collaborations. There was a steady stream of merch collaborations throughout the month of July involving notable food and beverage brands.

Gap released a line of hoodies, tees and accessories with New York City favorite Los Tacos No. 1. Meanwhile, Dunkin’ partnered up with influencer Chelsea Parke, releasing a line of themed drinks, mockneck sweatshirts and accessories tied to her clothing line, Parke. And on July 28, Starbucks released an Orange Cream-themed collection with Dandy.

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