Food & Drink Intel

Key trends reshaping coffee:

• Prices hit decade-high at $9.46/lb from droughts, climate change, and U.S. tariffs on Brazil.
• U.S. habits pivot: Drip...

A surge in deals signals industry consolidation amid challenges like declining alcohol consumption and NA growth:

• Sysco's $29.1B Restaurant Depot...

Casual dining faces headwinds, but value + experience strategies signal resilience:

• Legacy chains crumbling: 76-year-old comfort food icon shutters...

• Malt bev market hits USD 20.7B by 2036 (from $8.8B in 2026, 9% CAGR), driven by functional, low-alc, and alcohol-free options.
• NoLo sector to...

• Overproof Ventures launches operator-led platform for post-PMF alcoholic/non-alcoholic brands, bridging limited institutional capital to scale...

America's $50B snack market spawned wild innovations that flopped due to controversy:

• Hippy Sippy: Syringe packaging mimicked drug use, prompting...

• Chili's tops value lists with 3 for Me combos and sharable platters, boosting sales via affordable abundance.
• Cheesecake Factory serves...

Why America wants Bread Street Kitchen & Bar – Gordon Ramsay's upscale-yet-relaxed chain missing Stateside:

• Family-friendly upscale dining: Kids eat...

• Market explosion: Functional coffee valued at $4.48B in 2025, hitting $8.48B by 2031 (CAGR 11.25%) as RTDs lead with precise dosages.
• Mushrooms &...

Bouillons—traditional French bistros—are proliferating in Brittany, marking a genuine restaurant trend.

• Key spots: Bouillon Satio (cogérants...

TikTok's food trends are reshaping CPG and retail – from influencers to store shelves:

• Recipe influencers go viral: #FoodTok has 4.5M posts; 44% of...

Universal Studios Hollywood launches a value dining pass copying Six Flags, offering all-day meals for a flat fee.

• What's included: 2 entrées + 4...

• Major distributor tie-up: ALB Vodka inks deal with Southern Glazer’s to hit retailers, restaurants, and bars across Illinois, boosting Midwest...

China's approach to food safety uses government inspection disclosures to align supply-demand, guiding consumers to safer choices and pressuring...

Mastronardi Produce launches new tomato-on-the-vine packaging to boost fresh snacking, showcasing innovations at the 2026 CPMA. A smart play eyeing snackable produce trends.

AI is driving efficiency gains across foodservice:

• Oracle's NetSuite Restaurant Operations unifies inventory, procurement, scheduling, and finances...

Key trends fading from menus:

• Kitchen-to-glass cocktails: Fussy overlaps disrupt bar vibe, not all flavors translate.
• Performative social drinks:...

• 4% attendance boost and 9% more exhibitor space signal strong momentum
• Exhibitor Invitation Program empowers companies to invite their networks,...

China's fast-casual chains have arrived in NYC, drawing mobs like Raising Cane's did in 2023. The city craves chains from afar—watch this spring 2026 trend explode.

Bacon leads menu innovation for foodservice operators, as this popular pork cut meets consumers' demands for adventure on menus.