Consumer Trends: Page 2

  • A Sweetgreen salad and an order of air fried potatoes.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    4 restaurant menu strategy fails in 2025

    From french fries that clogged up core operations to unprofitable doughnuts, national chains tried and abandoned a wide range of menu tactics to woo diners in 2025.

    By • Dec. 19, 2025
  • A cup of chicken from Chipotle
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle adds protein snack cups

    The fast casual giant framed the new items, which offer four-ounce portions of meat for about $4, as both a health and value play.

    By • Dec. 18, 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
  • A DoorDash delivery worker walks his bike along the road in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
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    Getty Images
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    DoorDash tests AI-powered restaurant discovery app

    The delivery giant’s technology chief said Zesty, now in testing in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, improves local restaurant visibility.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
  • Cups and Munchkins on a Yellow Brick Road
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    Courtesy of Dunkin'
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    Dunkin’ and Starbucks boost traffic with holiday LTOs

    The chains’ successful holiday campaigns show the legacy coffee sector isn’t out of ammunition in a competitive battle with rising stars.

    By • Dec. 16, 2025
  • 7-Eleven
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    Brett Dworski/Restaurant Dive
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    Column

    Fueling Up: How foodservice and QSRs can reshape c-store labor in 2026

    Hiring and retaining good workers has become an intractable challenge for the industry. Building first-class food programs could help retailers finally break through.

    By Brett Dworski • Dec. 16, 2025
  • A photo of the exterior of a store in Japan. A sign above the storesays 7-Eleven.
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    Permission granted by Frank Beard
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    Column

    The Road Ahead: What if c-stores don’t need to become QSRs?

    The success of Japan’s convenience stores demonstrates the opportunity in selling food designed for everyday living, not just indulgent moments.

    By Frank Beard • Dec. 15, 2025
  • person holding phone
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    Permission granted by PAR Technology
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    Sponsored by PAR Technology

    The 3 ingredients of the golden age of loyalty

    Loyalty’s golden age: brands win with personal, playful and community-driven engagement.

    By Joe Yetter, General Manager of PAR Engagement at PAR Technology • Dec. 15, 2025
  • Taco Bell's $5, $7 and $9 luxe boxes. Each combo meal contains several items, a side and a drink.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Yum Brands: Solo dining, customization are reshaping value strategy

    Chief Marketing Officer Ken Muench said the lack of control and predictability in consumers’ lives is pushing diners toward customized experiences — even when that means passing up a deal.

    By • Dec. 10, 2025
  • A person in a suit stands on stage surrounded by a large crowd in the stands.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks’ on-premise experience could stave off coffee competitors

    CEO Brian Niccol said the chain’s emphasis on a coffeehouse atmosphere would result in consumers choosing the chain over “soulless” options.

    By • Dec. 10, 2025
  • Burger
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    Allie Beau

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    Sponsored by Schweid & Sons

    4 generations, 1 legendary burger

    “Every time someone eats a Schweid & Sons burger,” Jamie says, “they taste 4 generations of dedication.”

    Dec. 8, 2025
  • An image of a building with a sign that says "Sweetgreen."
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    A market of extremes: How 2026 will impact restaurant winners and losers

    Price compression has intensified competition between restaurant sectors, as executives look back on a bifurcated year.

    By • Dec. 5, 2025
  • A photograph of various cold brew coffee beverages at Sonic.
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    Permission granted by Sonic
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    Sonic tests cold coffee lineup

    The cold caffeine arms race is pushing Sonic to add everything from plain iced coffee to a soft-serve coffee milkshake to its menu.

    By • Dec. 5, 2025
  • A bright pink restaurant interior with big digital display signs.
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    Courtesy of KFC
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    KFC’s Saucy to open 3 more units

    The expansion signals Yum Brands sees the drinks- and tenders-focused concept as an important part of its KFC turnaround.

    By • Dec. 3, 2025
  • A Subway restaurant interior with white and green countertops and digital menu boards.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Subway resurrects Sub Club after 20 years

    Consumers who buy three footlong sandwiches earn a fourth one free, offering a major discount for value-conscious customers. 

    By • Dec. 1, 2025
  • A hand drops sauce from a spoon onto plates of food.
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    Getty Images
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    Toast: Solo dining reservations jumped 22% in Q3

    Data shows a shift toward the breakfast daypart and weekdays, but weekend dinner occasions still comprise the bulk of full-service reservations.

    By • Nov. 26, 2025
  • A picture of the interior of a coffeehouse.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks anticipates Gen Z Thanksgiving traffic surge

    A whopping 70% of the cohort plans to visit a coffeehouse over the holiday, a trend the chain hopes to capitalize on through its renewed on-premise focus.

    By • Nov. 25, 2025
  • A photo of the interior of Sadie's diner.
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    Permission granted by Paragon Solutions
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    4 c-stores turning up the heat on breakfast

    From Kwik Trip’s in-house bakeries to Wawa’s LTOs, convenience stores nationwide are capitalizing on the buoyant breakfast market.

    By Michael Brady • Nov. 25, 2025
  • An arm reaches out of a gray car to collect a bag of food while an employee with blue gloves hands off the bag.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Speed isn’t enough anymore. Why QSR brands need to dial up the emotion.

    Chains need to focus on experiences, rituals and spaces that foster connection, writes Lotte van Uum, creative director of spatial design at FutureBrand.

    By Lotte van Uum • Nov. 24, 2025
  • A photo of crinkle fries in a box that says Sonic and two burgers next to each other in front of a blue backdrop.
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    Permission granted by Sonic Drive-In
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    NRA: Value, comfort will define 2026 menu trends

    Operators looking to take advantage of buzzy food items, like protein add-ons or smash burgers, will have to balance operational complexity with demand.

    By • Nov. 21, 2025
  • A photo of a breakfast combo meal including a cup, three breakfast sandwiches and a container of hash browns on a wrapping paper that says "Rutter's" on a white background.
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    Permission granted by Rutter's
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    How 3 retailers are upgrading meal bundles

    Love’s, EG America and Rutter’s have all developed complex strategies for tying their in-house food with other products. Here are a few of their tips.

    By Christine Blank • Nov. 20, 2025
  • Jack in the Box
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jack in the Box posts worst sales quarter in years, again

    Falling traffic and unfavorable menu mix hurt the burger chain, but executives hope that retraining its entire system will improve consistency and sales.

    By • Nov. 20, 2025
  • An evening image of a building that says Papa Murphy's
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    The image by Rick Obst is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Why Papa Murphy’s rebuilt its loyalty program around a single rule

    “Every pizza earns points,” Papa Murphy’s Jason Focht said. “It's easy to understand, easy to message and easy to execute across all of our channels, including web apps and in-store.”

    By Bryan Wassel • Nov. 17, 2025
  • Culver's restaurant exterior
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    Courtesy of Culver's
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    How Culver’s home-grown franchisees power its growth

    By turning long-tenured GMs into owner-operators, the chain ensures a steady supply of franchisees who are committed to the brand and have significant operational experience.

    By • Nov. 12, 2025
  • A photograph of a drive thru window with a red sign that says "Sorry, We are closed. Thanks for your patronage over the years. Wendys."
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    FireAtDusk via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s could close hundreds of restaurants

    With McDonald’s and Burger King posting same-store sales gains, Wendy’s is under pressure to raise its average unit volume.

    By • Nov. 10, 2025
  • 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