One of the most exciting parts of fall is the change in weather -- and the subsequent changes to many restaurant menus that inevitably ensue.
Of course, many of us are familiar with Starbucks's (SBUX) -) Pumpkin Spice Latte, which emerges in late August every year and develops a following bordering on the feral. Other harvest-style dishes quickly crop up on menus and store aisles around the nation: butternut squash ravioli, spiced apple cider, mulled wine and pecan pie.
Related: McDonald's taking a key customer favorite off the menu
Even Chick-fil-A has released its own limited-edition menu additions, bringing in a new Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich and Caramel Crumble Milkshake.
But some folks have tired of the seemingly gimmicky frenzy that surrounds many fast-food stops. As kids return to school and the holiday season looms, Americans are busy, but many don't want to compromise quality for ease.
Diners figure out a way to eat better for less
So some crafty diners have workarounds to eating well while on the move. The hack has inevitably ended on on TikTok.
"Ok, if your baby falls asleep in the car and you want some food but you're sick of the drive through I have the ultimate hack for you," TikTok user @StudioSomer said in a video that has now received more than 400 comments.
"Go on the Olive Garden app and order a kids' meal. You get a drink, two breadsticks, an entree with a side -- I got spaghetti with alfredo sauce and broccoli. And they usually don't include salads with kids' meals but they always bring one out to me anyways," she explains, holding up a large plastic container of Olive Garden's salad and dressing.
"I love doing this because sometimes I'm just sick of drive through food and it's still curb side, so I don't have to get out of my car."
Other users chimed in on the now-viral hack.
"Bonus: you can add a $6 take home meal to the kids meal order and then you have dinner too," one user wrote.
"I do this with chilis alll the time. For $7 I can get a kids meal plus a small salad and chips/salsa. It’s the best!" another contributed.
"I do this at chipotle too!!" one claimed.
"I've been doing this forever and people think I'm weird but it's the perfect serving size for me and it's so much cheaper," one wrote.
"I would curbside the outback baked potato soup and eat it in the car while my kids napped. So good," one wrote.
It's worth noting that Olive Garden's menu explicitly specifies that its kids menu is for children under 12 years of age. It includes items like:
- Kids Alfredo Sauce with Choice of Pasta: $6.99
- Kids Pizza: $6.99
- Kids Chicken Fingers: $6.99
- Kids Macaroni and Cheese: $6.99
- Kids Meat Sauce with Choice of Pasta: $6.99
- Kids Tomato Sauce with Choice of Pasta: $6.99
- Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta & Marinara: $9.28
Not everyone is a fan of this increasingly popular practice.
Great American Restaurants Chief Executive Jon Norton told the Washington Post that kids-menu hacks cut into profit.
"They are a loss leader similar to happy-hour pricing," Norton said.
