The hottest menu strategy: never-ending limited-time offers

The McDonald's McRib is among the most iconic limited-time offers, and its return has become an annual celebration for its fans. STEPHANE JOURDAIN/AFP via Getty Images

In the attention economy, restaurants sell urgency through an endless series of limited-time offers.

The promotions are becoming hyper-personalized, but consumers' attention is increasingly split.

While LTOs drive sales, endless promos risk training customers to only engage when there's a deal.

The offer may expire at midnight, but the strategy sure won't.

For restaurant chains chasing attention in an increasingly fractured landscape, the limited-time offer — once a seasonal gimmick — is now a permanent menu fixture.

What used to be an occasional spike has become a predictable rhythm: a steady drumbeat of new sauces, returning fan favorites, and blink-and-you-miss-it promotions designed to keep brands "top of mind with our guests all year long," as Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright…