Consumer Trends

  • A picture of a hand giving a iced coffee drink to another person.
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    Permission granted by Dutch Bros
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    Dutch Bros to take breakfast nationwide in 2026

    The drive-thru coffee chain is putting pressure on legacy competitors with its goal to be a one-stop shop in the morning daypart.

    By • Nov. 7, 2025
  • People walking in front of a Sweetgreen on Aug.8, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Sweetgreen battered by 9.5% same-store sales drop

    The salad chain suffered one of the worst third quarters among publicly traded fast casuals, as young consumers in core markets pulled back and value plays ate into margins.

    By • Nov. 7, 2025
  • An image of several people eating hamburgers and french fries from a generic fast food restaurant. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Loyalty & Rewards Strategy

    Capturing — and keeping — loyal customers is more crucial than ever as diner price sensitivity puts pressure on restaurants.

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • Outback Steakhouse exterior
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    Courtesy of Bloomin' Brands
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    Bloomin’ to invest $50M in Outback Steakhouse overhaul in 2026

    The turnaround will touch everything from steak quality to marketing, and the cost will be partly offset by productivity investments.

    By • Nov. 6, 2025
  • A lighted McDonald's sign at dusk reading 'Extra Value Meals are back.'
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s Extra Value Meals insulated sales from diner price sensitivity

    Reductions in combo meal prices helped McDonald’s offset consumer pullback in the U.S. in Q3, and the chain will double down on its value efforts.

    By • Nov. 5, 2025
  • An image of a Cava logo
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Cava’s traffic growth stalls as fast casual market cools

    The brand does not plan to use discounts as a traffic driver, CFO Tricia Tolivar said, noting that it is confident in its holistic value proposition.

    By • Nov. 5, 2025
  • Marathon runners in Nashville
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Why the NYC marathon provides a golden playbook for restaurants nationwide

    Restaurant operators are running a long-distance financial race every day, focused on increasing profitability, but need to be nimble enough to take advantage of major traffic drivers in their cities, writes Julie Powell, senior director of marketing insights and intelligence at Toast. 

    By Julie Powell • Oct. 31, 2025
  • An image of the Shake Shack logo on a window.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack grows traffic with ad spend, operational improvements

    The brand’s traffic gains were most pronounced outside the Northeast, validating its national development strategy, CFO Katie Fogerty said.

    By • Oct. 31, 2025
  • An image of three large platters in the forefront with various food items. I nthe bagkround there are three cups, chips and tortillas.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle faces worrying consumer headwinds

    Despite consumer pullback and a value advantage over fast casual competitors, CEO Scott Boatwright said “value as a price point is not and will not be a Chipotle strategy.”

    By • Oct. 30, 2025
  • An empty Starbucks redesigned with lots of green and open space.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks stanches the same-store sales bleeding

    Comparable sales growth was driven by an increase in average ticket, but investments in service helped turn U.S. transactions positive in September. 

    By • Oct. 30, 2025
  • An aerial view of a building with white "Chili'"s sign alongside a red pepper.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Chili’s dramatic sales growth continues with 13% traffic jump

    Chili’s marketing, which sets the chain in direct price competition with QSRs, delivered a sixth-straight quarter of double-digit same-store sales growth.

    By • Oct. 29, 2025
  • Hands hold up colorful drinks.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell brings Live Más Café to Texas

    A Taco Bell with a Live Más Café in Irvine, California, that opened in September is already selling upwards of 900 drinks a day. 

    By • Oct. 28, 2025
  • An image of a happy hour sign at a restaurant.
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    Getty Images
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    Majority of US diners think menu prices are too high

    Buy-one-get-one offers as well as discounts are among the top incentives helping drive guests back to restaurants, according to a YouGov report.

    By • Oct. 28, 2025
  • An image of a digital menu board that says "Extra Value Meals are back" on the other panel there is a photo of an egg sandwich and a $5.
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    Permission granted by McDonald's
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    Toast: Burger, burrito, cold brew prices on the rise

    Football season staples like beer and wings saw slower price increases, which could play to the advantage of casual chains, according to a Toast analysis.

    By • Oct. 27, 2025
  • Person walking down street drinking hot drink
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    Sergey Sokolov / Unsplash

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    Sponsored by Talon.One

    Brewing loyalty at speed: Scooter’s Coffee redefines rewards for the modern guest

    QSR loyalty is evolving—data-driven personalization is turning fast service into lasting connection.

    Oct. 27, 2025
  • A man stands at a bar checking out.
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    Getty Images
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    Hospitality guests’ No. 1 AI concern: the loss of human touch

    “When consumers express concern about losing the human touch in hospitality, they aren’t rejecting the technology; they’re rejecting cold service,” Reputation’s Liz Carter said.

    By Kristen Doerer • Oct. 24, 2025
  • An image of Layne's Chicken Fingers menu items.
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    Permission granted by Layne's Chicken Fingers
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    Layne’s Chicken Fingers signs agreements for 68 stores

    Layne’s is the latest brand to bet on chicken fever and franchising to catapult it to national status — but the competitive landscape may be shifting.

    By • Oct. 22, 2025
  • An exterior photo of a Taim restaurant.
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    Courtesy of Taim Mediterranean Kitchen
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    Deep Dive

    4 brands growing in Cava’s shadow

    As the Mediterranean fast casual segment grows, franchised chains like Taim and Taziki’s are competing to see who will emerge as Cava’s main challenger.

    By • Oct. 20, 2025
  • An orange background with simulated phone screens showing how Philz Coffee's loyalty system works.
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    Courtesy of Philz Coffee
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    Philz Coffee launches points-based loyalty program

    Fresh off its acquisition by Freeman Spogli, the coffee brand is adding a new system meant to reward frequency and deepen consumer connections.

    By • Oct. 17, 2025
  • Four colorful drinks on a table.
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    Courtesy of Panera Bread
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    Panera Bread tests 4 premium drinks

    As QSRs eat into beverage occasions with refreshers, menu innovation could become an important defensive move for fast casual and coffee brands.

    By • Oct. 15, 2025
  • Sprouts employee restocking Heat & Meat meal offerings
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    Peyton Bigora/Restaurant Dive
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    Grocers continue to gain ground on restaurants, FMI survey finds

    Twenty-eight percent of shoppers said they buy deli-prepared foods from grocers as a replacement for going to a restaurant, up from 12% in 2017.

    By Sam Silverstein • Oct. 9, 2025
  • Toast for Hotel Restaurants
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    Permission granted by Toast
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    Restaurants battered by inflation, turnover: report

    Improving profits and traffic are the main strategic goals for restaurant leaders in 2025, according to a Toast survey.

    By • Oct. 9, 2025
  • An image of a customer entering a Cava restaurant.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Cava adds tiers, status matching to rewards program

    Consumers who can prove elite status in some other brands’ loyalty programs will be able to slot into the higher tiers of Cava’s system.

    By • Oct. 9, 2025
  • Domino's rebranded assets
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    Courtesy of Domino's
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    Inside Domino’s first refresh in a decade — including its ‘cravemark’

    With younger consumers in mind, the pizza chain has a new look and sound, including an audio-visual expression voiced by singer Shaboozey.

    By Chris Kelly • Oct. 8, 2025
  • An image showing some of Dunkin's branding pasted on the side of a building.
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    Courtesy of Dunkin'
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    Dunkin’ changes its rewards redemptions, again

    A Restaurant Dive analysis of new discount rates shows the coffee chain has largely made it more expensive to redeem items.

    By • Oct. 6, 2025
  • A promotional image of one of Starbucks' AmazonGo Locations
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Why mobile-order and pickup-only restaurants fail, according to experts

    Starbucks learned the hard way that customers care more about experience than efficiency. 

    By Michael Brady • Oct. 6, 2025