Consumer Trends: Page 32


  • Report: North American pizza market to grow 10% in next 5 years

    Despite some stumbles from the largest pizza chains, the industry remains strong and is worth over $45 billion in the U.S. 

    By Dec. 17, 2018
  • Eataly's Las Vegas location breaks down barriers between restaurants, stores

    The company's latest culinary marketplace will be its first to be open 24 hours and plans to closely integrate eating, shopping and learning.  

    By Jennifer Sweeney • Dec. 14, 2018
  • A photograph of chefs in a kitchen. Explore the Trendlineâž”
    Image attribution tooltip
    sam edwards via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Menu development

    Restaurants big and small are experimenting with their menus to align with the preferences of on-the-go diners and mitigate the impact of rising food costs, supply chain disruption and shrinking consumer discretionary funds. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • McDonald's to phase out antibiotics in beef

    The burger chain plans to reduce usage of antibiotics across 85% of its supply chain as similar commitments catch fire throughout the fast food segment. 

    By Dec. 12, 2018
  • Survey: Half of diners rely on friends, family — not Instagram — for recommendations

    Only 7% of U.S. consumers have ordered a menu item because they saw an influencer share it on social media, according to a SevenRooms report.

    By Dec. 11, 2018
  • Image attribution tooltip
    JUST
    Image attribution tooltip

    JUST partners with Toriyama to produce lab-grown wagyu beef

    Through the agreement, JUST plans to make the exclusive beef available to more restaurants and at more price points.

    By Megan Poinski • Dec. 11, 2018
  • 40% of consumers say they order fast casual most often

    Quick-service came in second and casual dining in third, according to Grubhub's annual Year In Food report.

    By Kristine Sherred • Dec. 10, 2018
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Julie Littman
    Image attribution tooltip

    Restaurant gift card sales expected to rise during holidays

    Since diners typically spend $59 more than the value of their gift card, these offerings can boost sales and traffic during slow winter months.  

    By Dec. 10, 2018
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Guillermo Fernandes, Flickr
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    The future of food is digital

    Stephen Chau, head of product at Uber Eats, shares the ways he predicts restaurants will be transformed by technology.

    By Stephen Chau • Dec. 10, 2018
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Flickr
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    It's not easy being green: Romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak rattles food, grocery industries

    The FDA's decision to request that the popular green gets pulled from shelves sent "a strong message" to the produce sector, according to a former agency official, while costing supermarkets millions of dollars in losses.

    By Christopher Doering • Dec. 10, 2018
  • NYC vegan chain by Chloe welcomes new CEO

    Patrick Hellstrand joins the popular chain with locations in three U.S. cities and London to aid expansion after a $31 million funding round earlier this year.

    By Kristine Sherred • Dec. 7, 2018
  • CBD sports water on sale at two Denver chains

    In what is likely a first for the restaurant industry, Illegal Burger and El Senor Sol will carry CBD-infused sports water EVERx in Denver. 

    By Kristine Sherred • Dec. 7, 2018
  • Year of the chicken? Poultry menu items, chicken chains surge in popularity

    As more restaurants add chicken strips to their menus, sales of the products rose 16%, while Chick-fil-A closes in on $10 billion in annual sales.

    By Dec. 7, 2018
  • Strong Thanksgiving dining spend signals growth through New Year's

    Spending was up 4.1% Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, with quick-service restaurants posting strong market share fueled by mobile offerings. 

    By Dec. 4, 2018
  • Beyond value menus, fast food prices inching closer to fast casual

    What once was a 30% price difference between chains like Shake Shack and McDonald's has plunged to 8%, as fast food contends with higher wages and food costs amid sluggish traffic.

    By Kristine Sherred • Dec. 4, 2018
  • Deep Dive

    A look back: How the midterm elections did — and didn't — impact restaurants

    The dust has settled on the midterm elections, revealing support across the aisle for minimum wage increases, future opportunity in marijuana-infused food and drink and challenges from new animal welfare standards. 

    By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 3, 2018
  • Asian grocerant Be-Se-To coming to Maryland next year

    The two-story retailer/restaurant hybrid includes a Korean restaurant, a Korean-style Japanese restaurant, a Korean-style Chinese restaurant, and a Korean dessert shop.

    By Krishna Thakker • Dec. 3, 2018
  • DoorDash snags another big-name partner in TripAdvisor

    Already working with Grubhub and OpenTable, the travel review leader jumps deeper into restaurants, one of its fastest-growing categories.

    By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 29, 2018
  • Baskin-Robbins scoops up redesign to sweeten customer engagement

    The ice cream chain's new concept store in California includes a frozen treat menu, more comfortable seating and unique location-specific artwork.

    By Nov. 29, 2018
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Auntie Anne's
    Image attribution tooltip

    Auntie Anne's hits the pavement with food trucks

    The pretzel chain has built a fleet of two dozen trucks since 2013 and even more street-side carts and standalone shops in a quest to find customers where they are.

    By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 28, 2018
  • 93% of diners want to eat healthy, but survey finds most fail

    Swamped by choices and busy lifestyles, almost all consumers are interested in healthy eating, but 46% regularly opt for fast food and pizza.

    By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 28, 2018
  • Q&A

    Q&A: Panda Express carries the Chinese-American torch, 35 years later

    Culinary director Jimmy Wang shares how the restaurant has evolved since its launch in 1983 and how iconic menu items like orange chicken acclimated U.S. consumers to Chinese food.

    By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 26, 2018
  • Restaurants embrace LTOs, add-ons to spice up slim menus

    Chains across categories have cut back long menus in favor of specialty sauces and extras like shrimp and grilled chicken add-ons, offering customers variety without overburdening the ingredient list.

    By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 26, 2018
  • Food waste reduction is a high priority for U.S. diners, study shows

    Seventy-two percent of American consumers care about how businesses handle food waste, and nearly half would pay more for restaurants with food recovery plans. 

    By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 26, 2018
  • Beyond Meat's future has ties to a successful tea maker

    Seth Goldman founded organic tea maker Honest two decades ago. Today, he has an executive role at the maker of plant-based products and notes the many similarities between the two companies.

    By Christopher Doering • Nov. 26, 2018
  • Chili's taps into online pop-up trend with limited Cyber Monday merch

    The brand's team of designers shared sneak peeks of the gear on social media, including a T-shirt inspired by a popular episode of "The Office."

    By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 21, 2018