Birria Kolache Becomes Permanent Menu Staple After Sales Record

The recipe, originally submitted by Greenville resident Erin Hargett for the brand's annual Create a Kolache Contest, debuted in April 2026. It quickly eclipsed internal benchmarks, selling at 1.8 times the volume of typical promotional flavors. This surge in demand forced leadership to reconsider the traditional limited-time-only structure of the competition.

COO Dawn Nielsen noted that the decision to keep the item was a direct response to sustained customer requests. Priced at $4.98, the product features slow-braised beef, cilantro, onions, and lime. The bakery-café chain modified the traditional birria format by baking the consommé directly into the dough, ensuring the dish remains portable for commuters. This addition highlights a strategic shift for the 60-store franchise, which historically used the contest only for short-term menu variety rather than long-term expansion.