Driven by national chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s, bakeries and coffee shops around the country may begin to offer pumpkin spice lattes as early as August.

Although typically brought about by a change in season, this pre-emptive move has purely to do with business reasons. As the drink and its flavor have risen in popularity over the course of the past decade, customers are demanding it sooner.

Last year, Starbucks allowed customers with a secret code to purchase pumpkin spice lattes in early September. In order to keep pace with its competitor, McDonald’s will follow suit by offering the beverage at the end of August this year.

However, while these lattes have become more recognizable, they are still considered a novelty item by many, and thus are only consumed in small, infrequent quantities. According to Eater.com, a 2015 study found that most people are content with only one pumpkin spice latter per season.

Do these two points contradict each other? Is the rise in pumpkin spice offerings necessary?

Time will only tell if this is a fad or something that is here to stay. In the meantime, local shops may look to get ahead of the pack on pumpkin spice lattes if the market trends that way.