Consumer Trends: Page 7


  • Ordering takeout and delivery convenience food from an online Asian restaurant delivery meal from a smart phone.
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    YinYang via Getty Images
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    Foodservice customers want delivery with a side of loyalty, survey says

    Over 70% of respondents to a Tillster report expect to earn or use rewards when ordering at an in-store kiosk, and more than half want to use them when ordering online.

    By Jessica Loder • Aug. 8, 2023
  • A photo of the exterior of a 7-Eleven.
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    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
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    7-Eleven adds limited-time wings flavor

    This marks the latest in a recent series of c-store food and beverage LTOs, with retailers like Rutter’s and Stewart’s also debuting seasonal or short-term items.

    By Jessica Loder • July 20, 2023
  • An image of a waitress serving three people at a table. Explore the Trendline
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    Hispanolistic via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Restaurant Dive

    Check out a selection of articles about some of the biggest trends — from the rise of dessert concepts to a cohort of Mexican chains trying to overtake Chipotle  — shaping the restaurant industry in 2024.

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • Customers at Dacha Beer Garden
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    Courtesy of Dacha Beer Garden
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    Is America ready for franchised beer gardens? Dacha thinks so.

    A 10-year-old beer garden in Washington, D.C., wants to plants its flag in new East Coast markets over the next five years.

    By July 19, 2023
  • A woman sits at a coffee table looking at a tablet.
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    andresr via Getty Images
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    Readers Respond: Menu price hikes aren’t scaring off diners

    Respondents to a Restaurant Dive survey raised prices to keep pace with higher costs, but operators have employed strategies to minimize the impact on their menus.

    By July 16, 2023
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    Patpitchaya via Getty Images
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    Friday Feedback: How are you approaching menu pricing?

    This new series seeks reader input on pressing topics in the restaurant industry.

    By July 7, 2023
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Can opt-in rules help restaurants, diners stick to sustainable packaging?

    Consumer interest in biodegradable and reusable restaurant packaging is still growing, and a push to ditch single-use cutlery and condiments may spark bigger behavior changes.

    By Kristine Sherred • July 6, 2023
  • An image of a woman preparing bags for takeout in a restaurant
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    Dejan_Dundjerski via Getty Images
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    NRA: Only 24% of adult diners added alcohol to their off-premise orders in last 6 months

    A gap between diner interest in off-premise alcohol and actual ordering behavior suggests to-go alcohol sales could further expand, according to a report by the National Restaurant Association. 

    By June 29, 2023
  • Atosa Catering Equipment's prototype fry machine at the National Restaurant Association show on May 22, 2023.
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
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    Deloitte: Customer acceptance of restaurant automation on the rise

    Diners are becoming more comfortable with smart kitchen and dining room solutions, which could help operators deploy such tech without hurting sales.

    By June 27, 2023
  • Stinker
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    Permission granted by Stinker Stores
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    How Stinker Stores is remodeling its stores to compete with QSRs

    Nearly two years after debuting its fresh food program, the Idaho-based retailer is revamping many of its locations — and building new ones — to position the meal stop front and center.

    By Brett Dworski • June 23, 2023
  • Some rainbow colored Starbucks cups.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks unionization efforts

    Some Starbucks cafes have removed Pride decor. Corporate says it hasn’t banned the practice.

    Confusion over Pride decoration policy has sparked tension between Starbucks and its union, as major brands like Target and Anheuser-Busch InBev face threats for their pro-LGBTQ marketing.

    By June 16, 2023
  • Marguerite Zabar Mariscal
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    Permission granted by Momofuku
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    Q&A

    8 questions with Momofuku CEO Marguerite Zabar Mariscal

    The exec talks to Food Dive about her rise from intern to CEO of the popular restaurant group and, more recently, the company’s expanding CPG business.

    By Judy McGuire • June 14, 2023
  • An image of Chick-fil-A's spicy chicken biscuit meal
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    Courtesy of Chick-fil-A
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    Chick-fil-A makes Spicy Chicken Biscuit permanent

    The morning breakfast sandwich is the chain’s most requested breakfast item and received positive customer feedback when it was offered in the past. 

    By June 12, 2023
  • Person holding up EV charger to car
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    coldsnowstorm via Getty Images
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    Are EV chargers right for your restaurant?

    There are a number of options that restaurant and franchise owners should consider, including charger type, cost and location.

    By Danielle McLean • June 7, 2023
  • A promotional image for Popeyes' blackened chicken sandwich.
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    Courtesy of Popeyes
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    Popeyes adds blackened chicken sandwich to menu permanently

    The chicken sandwich, which succeeded as an LTO last year, is being marketed as a healthier entree that diners can enjoy every day. 

    By June 7, 2023
  • An image of a woman ordering from a restaurant website.
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    grinvalds via Getty Images
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    Report: Diners who order off restaurant websites tip better, order more often

    These digital customers are more likely to be loyalty members, Paytronix found, and have less time between repeat orders than third-party customers. 

    By June 5, 2023
  • A photograph of chefs in a kitchen.
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    sam edwards via Getty Images
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    4 restaurant industry predictions from the NRA Show

    Ghost kitchens, immigration policy, managerial automation and catering could help shape the future of the industry, experts said at the National Restaurant Association Show.

    By May 31, 2023
  • Outside picture of the inside of a store, a sign that says 100% vegan with yellow and black chairs
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    Retrieved from Adobe Stock.
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    Sponsored by Catania Oils

    Plant-based 101: What you need to know

    Plant-based diets have gone from being eccentric to the mainstream, with one in four Americans eating vegan or vegetarian some or all of the time. Read this introductory guide to start supplementing your menu with plant-based options.

    May 30, 2023
  • An image of customers sitting inside a restaurant.
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    Permission granted by TaKorean
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    How restaurants can get a slice of Gen Z’s $360B spending power

    This generation's prioritization of time, social media and altruism — combined with a comparative mistrust of tech — sets it apart from millennials and Gen X.

    By May 25, 2023
  • A branded image for BentoBox.
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    Courtesy of BentoBox
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    BentoBox: Reservation platforms are least popular tool for restaurant search

    Most diners rely on recommendations from friends and family, or on social media posts, when weighing new restaurants to try, per a survey. 

    By May 25, 2023
  • A customer scans his palm with an Amazon One device at a Panera cafe.
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    Courtesy of Panera
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    NFTs, personalization and biometric pay are shaping restaurant loyalty

    At the National Restaurant Association Show, experts and operators discussed how restaurants are innovating their rewards to stay competitive as inflation erodes diner spend. 

    By May 22, 2023
  • A cook prepares food on a preparation line while a mobile device is attached at the top of the line.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    The top restaurant trends in 2023

    As consumer dining preferences and economic conditions continue to evolve, it’s important to understand restaurant trends and strategies that work.

    May 22, 2023
  • A glass goblet being held up by a hand and filled with an orange liquid on tap.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    How this brewery-gastropub saves 6 hours a week with integrated payroll

    Learn how a brewing company used Square to grow their business, boost revenue and generate higher numbers of repeat customers.

    May 15, 2023
  • Actor Ben Affleck, wearing a blue plaid shirt and dark coat, stands center frame in front of a Dunkin' cash register.
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    Permission granted by Dunkin'
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    Q&A

    Dunkin’s CMO on bringing the brand’s vision into focus — and those buzzy Ben Affleck ads

    Jill McVicar Nelson detailed a “fewer, bigger, better” ethos that is helping to balance brand and performance marketing at a transitional point for QSRs.

    By Peter Adams • May 10, 2023
  • Person holding out plate with burger and fries
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    Hinterhaus Productions via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by MERGE

    Restaurant experience reset: Forecasting the future of quick service and casual dining

    A closer look at which recent restaurant trends will stand the test of time and which will fade from relevancy.  

    May 8, 2023
  • A laptop with a picture of a nachos and guacamole dish is right next to a Square mobile device processing a smartphone. A hand reaches out to the laptop.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    5 tips for building an omnichannel restaurant strategy

    Restaurants are finding new ways to meet consumers on the channels they’re already using. Here are five tips for building an omnichannel restaurant strategy to more effectively reach and engage with customers.

    May 8, 2023