Spicy food and drinks have been trending in recent months, and foodservice experts have dubbed it the flavor trend of the summer. Panera’s addition to the trend is its new Spicy Fiesta Chicken sandwich, which features grilled chicken, white cheddar cheese, sweet peppers, cilantro, roasted corn and a creamy salsa verde spread on Ciabatta bread. The sandwich is available for $11.59.

Panera also created a limited time Kickin’ Grilled Cheese. This sandwich features a grilled cheese with salsa verde spread for $7.49.

Burger King is also hopping on the spicy trend with its new limited time “fiery menu”. The lineup includes a Fiery Strawberry and Sprite, Fiery Mozzarella Fries, a Fiery Bacon Whopper, Fiery Chicken Fries and a Fiery Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

The lineup has a range of “Spice Level” from one through five to let buyers know how spicy the item is.

"We know that our guests crave spice packed full of flavor when they come to BK, but spice looks different for everybody," said Pat O'Toole, chief marketing officer, Burger King North America. "As a brand that is built on letting guests "Have It Your Way", we're excited to offer a range of products that appeal to everyone—from those who want just a little kick to those who can't get enough heat."

Earlier in the year, several other QSRs promoted their own spicy menu items. Starbucks launched a limited-time spicy spring lemonade line, deemed “swicy” for its mix of sweet and spicy flavors.

7-Eleven also debuted a new line of sweet and spicy menu items including a Mangonada donut with Tajin seasoning and a limited-edition peach candy lemonade Slurpee drink at 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores.