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Biography

Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

 Contact Patricia

Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business, covering food and beverage trends, Menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs and Technomic research. She edits the weekly On the Menu newsletter and writes the regular Behind the Menu and Taste Tracker features. Pat hosts a weekly podcast called Menu Talk in collaboration with Bret Thorn of Nation's Restaurant News, covering a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators.

Pat came to Informa Connect from Hearst, where she was an executive editor. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. She is active in several professional organizations, including Les Dames d’Escoffier and the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC), and serves as a judge for the James Beard Media Awards.

Articles by
Patricia Cobe

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Consumer Trends

How consumers really feel about protein and fiber

The two nutrients are getting a lot of play on social media. Restaurants should pay more attention, according to recent research.

Food

Sweetfin cooks up new warm bowls

Behind the Menu: The fast-casual poké concept pivoted from an all-raw menu without losing focus on flavor, scratch prep and its California-Asian pedigree.

Food

Color and flavor brighten winter menus

Taste Tracker: Sweetgreen, Starbucks, El Pollo Loco, Gong Cha, Moe’s, Smoothie King, McAlister’s, Wayback, Qdoba and more headline restaurant menu news and trends.

Consumer Trends

Valentine's Day dining is no longer for couples only

Recent data from OpenTable finds that friends, groups and even solo diners plan to visit a restaurant on the traditionally romantic holiday.

Operations

Restaurateur Billy Dec prepares to open Sunda New Asian in Detroit

Menu Talk: The advocate for Philippine culture and hospitality is also getting ready for the PBS debut of his documentary.

Food

Taco Bell taps into snacking trend with Mini Taco Salad

Behind the Menu: The Mexican fast-food chain refreshed the format and flavor of its classic Fiesta Taco Salad to launch as part of its new Luxe Value Menu.

Beverage

Starbucks picks strawberries to flavor its newest beverages

Matcha also gets more play, as the coffee giant expands the selection with permanent additions, featuring more berries and banana.

Consumer Trends

How Technomic's 2026 trend predictions are panning out

Menu Talk: A month into the new year, Lizzy Freier, senior director of menu research & insights at Technomic, revisits the team’s top trends.

Food

Hearts take shape on menus

Taste Tracker: Outback, 7 Brew, Logan’s, Dunkin’, Whataburger, Nothing Bundt Cakes, P.F. Chang’s, Portillo’s, Polly’s Pies, Baskin-Robbins, Lou Malnati’s and more headline restaurant menu news and trends.

Food

Papa Johns' Pan Pizza upgrade took several years to perfect

The culinary team at the Atlanta-based pizza chain tested countless iterations to elevate the pie’s flavor and texture and have it stand out in a crowded category.

Food

Restaurants jump on the protein trend by putting plant sources front and center

Two menus show how protein grams can add up without eating a big steak or three-egg omelet. And they have the numbers to prove it.

Beverage

A wine bar where the bottles do the talking

Behind the Menu: Emmy Lou’s in Charlotte is half bottle shop, half restaurant, where the retail shelves work as the wine list and the food is much more than an afterthought.

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