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Consumer Trends

Consumer trends, insights and preferences

Consumer Trends

Consumers are feeling increasingly gloomy about the future

 By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 25, 2025

Their six-month outlook plunged to a 12-year low, reflecting concerns about tariffs and inflation. It's a worrying sign for restaurants, though there are some glimmers of hope.

Consumer Trends

Why Sweetgreen wants to see workers come back to the office

 By Lisa Jennings on Mar. 13, 2025

Even five years after COVID, urban centers were dead on Fridays. But the full return-to-office movement could bring an unexpected boost, especially to fast casuals.

Consumer Trends

More restaurant tables going to singles and groups this Valentine's Day

By Patricia Cobe on Jan. 30, 2025

The romantic, couple-focused holiday is experiencing a dramatic shift, finds OpenTable.

Consumer Trends

The next big thing on restaurant menus

By Patricia Cobe on Jan. 24, 2025

Our trendspotters looked into their collective crystal balls to ID the next iterations of popular menu items. Here are their predictions.

Consumer Trends

6 menu trends that rocked restaurants in 2024

By Patricia Cobe on Dec. 18, 2024

We heard a lot about “swicy” and cheese pulls, but what else was trending both inside and outside restaurants’ walls?

Consumer Trends

Espresso, pickles and birria spiked in delivery orders this year

By Patricia Cobe on Dec. 10, 2024

Grubhub’s 2024 Delivered Report reveals consumers’ most-ordered foods and drinks, providing a snapshot of top trends.

Consumer Trends

How the holiday party season is shaping up for restaurant catering

By Patricia Cobe on Nov. 20, 2024

Businesses are increasing their party budgets this year to enhance workplace culture, and restaurants can snag more of those catering dollars.

Consumer Trends

Making the business case for sustainability

By Heather Lalley on Nov. 15, 2024

Technomic consumer data reveals that the case for implementing more environmentally sustainable practices, while important, is not as black and white as it may seem.

Consumer Trends

As grocers think more like restaurants, IFMA changes name to broaden food-away-from-home focus

By Lisa Jennings on Nov. 04, 2024

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association has become The Food Away from Home Association to embrace manufacturers, all kinds of operators, suppliers and service providers.

Consumer Trends

Shopping malls find a second life as restaurant destinations

By Patricia Cobe on Oct. 30, 2024

Consumers are returning to malls to seek out favorite restaurant brands, with The Cheesecake Factory and soup dumpling concept Din Tai Fung topping the list, according to Yelp data.

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