No one wants to suffer from FOMO because of LTOs. Translation: “fear of missing out” anxiety is real, and “limited time offers” cause distress if you fail to experience them. Now that FOMO is an epidemic among youth and social media-inclined consumers, it may not be surprising that quick-service restaurants have struck gold with their use of LTOs. This practice not only allows them to test new menu items and gauge the customer response before committing, but it also provides free marketing, thanks to diners who love to show off their felicitous experiences on Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram with friends and followers. Of course, the LTO strategy is not without challenges for franchise operators, especially when it comes to training employees on new menu items. Even seasoned veterans of LTOs must work through obstacles to make short-term menu launches successful, as you can hear in Inkling’s recent Coffee Hour webinar with Taco Bell. Read more about the webinar here. But for now, let’s find inspiration in last year’s top ten remarkable LTOs that generated lots of buzz and frenzied excitement.