COUNTER SERVICE | OCTOBER 1, 2026
Counter Service is our daily 60-second consumer-news series. Here, we go one level deeper into the brands showing up in your kitchen—and the money behind them.
You probably don’t need another errand. Brands know that. Today’s lineup is showing up where you already stop: the coffee counter, the convenience store, and the daily wellness routine. The products are different. The invitation is familiar: while you’re here, try this.
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Your caffeine has a costume
Dunkin’ kicked off its Halloween menu with Green Apple Dunkin’ Zero and Purple Marshmallow Cold Foam. The lineup includes a Terror-misu Cloud Latte, because apparently even an iced latte needs to dress up for October. The new menu arrived September 30 for a limited time. It gives regular customers a seasonal detour without asking them to change their morning route. That’s the appeal of these launches. You don’t have to become a different kind of coffee person. You can just be the same coffee person holding something purple.
SIDE DISH: An upgrade to the emergency snack stop
Strip Jerky has landed in select Chicago 7-Elevens, with Original and Hot Honey Date flavors. For a young brand, that’s a useful place to meet someone who wasn’t looking for you. Convenience-store shopping doesn’t always start with a carefully researched list. Sometimes you’re hungry, your train is coming, and whatever’s in reach gets an audition. This is a selective Chicago rollout—not a nationwide launch. But it puts the brand into a very recognizable buying moment: “I need something now.”
WHO’S COOKING: SuperMush gets fresh backing
SuperMush closed a $3 million Series A led by NDude Labs. The wellness brand sells gummies positioned around routines including energy and sleep. The format is approachable. The claims still deserve scrutiny. A gummy can make a supplement easier to take; it doesn’t, by itself, establish what that supplement will do. The funding is backing the business. It isn’t proof of a health outcome.
THE CHECK
Dunkin’ wants to change your usual order. Strip Jerky wants a shot at your next snack stop. SuperMush wants a place in your daily routine. Getting into an existing habit is a good introduction. Earning the repeat purchase is the next job.
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