Doughnuts are enjoying something of a renaissance moment—even among burger and shake concepts.

Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes introduced a limited-time dessert, the Jelly Donut Milkshake, which is blended with Rich’s doughnut holes. To add the jelly flavor, the recipe calls for Monin Wildberry syrup.

Mooyah’s standard menu already includes 10 milkshake varieties such as Mint Chocolate Chip, Reese’s PB Cups, and Strawberry Banana, but the brand wanted to create something new during National Ice Cream Month.

“We’ve seen a lot of fun and funky doughnut flavors comes into the mix,” says Mooyah director of marketing Natalie Anderson Liu. “There’s no reason why a shake can’t play into that trend as well.”

The brand tested nine to 10 other flavors like cheesecake and dark-chocolate sea salt caramel before choosing jelly doughnut. Liu says the other flavors lacked the fun factor and “just didn’t come alive in the form of a shake as we thought.”

She adds that part of the appeal of the Jelly Donut Milkshake is the unique texture from using real doughnut holes (two in the regular size and three in the large).

Indeed, chefs and consumers alike are clamoring for more. In the National Restaurant Association’s annual forecast, chefs cited doughnuts as one of the quickest growing trends.

So far, Liu says that the Jelly Donut Milkshake has been well received by customers and franchisees.

“We are a premium better-burger brand … it’s really important to give the guests new things to try, to keep things exciting, to keep things fresh,” she says. “Whenever we want to provide a new shake flavor for our guest, it needs to be fun.”

And although the shake was intended as a summertime flavor rather than a permanent menu items, Liu says the brand will not rule out anything that makes guests and franchisees happy.

 

By Nicole Duncan