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1. Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version Top 2024 Food & Beverage
Industry Trends

2. Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version Top 2024 Food & Beverage
Industry Trends
What’s the biggest prediction as the year unfolds?

3. Trend 1:Spices as Culinary Change Agents
Trend 2:Global Accents Shake Up Menus
Trend 3:Plant-Based Becomes a Mainstream Choice
Trend 4:Coffee’s Cold Rush
Trend 5:Healthful Hydration
Trend 6:Fresh New Beverage Flavors
Trend 7:Customers Reset Mealtime Clocks
Trend 8:The Big Experience of Dining Out
Trend 9:Tech Tools Bump Up Customer Service
What’s the biggest prediction for the
foodservice industry as 2024 unfolds?
Sales of food and nonalcoholic beverages are set to hit a
record-high $889.7 billion.
The fine print indicates that most growth will be inflationary rather than
real growth, a signal that the road ahead will be lined with both
opportunities and challenges. Casting an optimistic eye toward the
industry’s many upsides, we’ve spotlighted top growth-minded,
consumer-driven trends. Dig in, learn more, and fuel the growth.
Source: IFMA Scope (September 2023)

4. Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version Food Trends
Trend 1:Spices as Culinary Change Agents
Trend 2:Global Accents Shake Up Menus
Trend 3:Plant-Based Becomes a Mainstream Choice

5. TREND 1
Spices as
Culinary
Change Agents
Spices are applauded as
culinary change agents
with chefs relying on them
to add nuance, pop, pow,
and lingering layers of
flavor that define dishes.
What it means
Spices and spice blends, especially
those with global pedigrees, are
red-hot for flavor-forward fine-
tuning—a task they handle with
operational ease.
Flavor is pretty much where it’s at
when it comes to food trends,
consumers are not shy about
expressing preferences for big, bold
food and drink sensations and
never more so than when the
journey takes unexpected
directions. Whether in solo acts,
complex mixes, or as support
players in flavor bases and sauces,
spices are easy access points for
diners that, according to research
firm Datassential, deliver low-risk/
high-reward ways to have new
experiences.

6. Datassential’s Menu Adoption Data
chart for spices and flavor-dense
ingredients shows that spices along
with super-concentrated flavor
bombs such as tamarind and yuzu
often move with supersonic speed
from on-the-fringes inception to
the kind of ubiquity that shows
widespread acceptance by
consumers.
Most of the world’s culinary
regions have spice blends that add
easy intrigue across dayparts.
Spotted on menus, these blends
don’t insist on staying true to
origins, their flavors also
complementary to other cuisines:
Africa:Berberé, dukkah, harissa,
ras el hanout, Durban curry
Asia:Togarashi, furikake, gomasio,
Szechuan seasoning
Europe:Fines herbes, vaudevan,
herbes de Provence, quatre épices
India:Chaat masala, panch phoron,
garam masala, curry blends
Latin America:Adobo, chili
powder, jerk seasoning, Tajín
Middle East:Baharat, advieh,
hawaij, za’atar
North America:Cajun blend,
pumpkin-pie spice mix, poultry
seasoning
In the past year,
consumers have increased
their hot sauce
consumption 23%, more
than any other condiment.
Salsaholds second place with
22% gain andsriracha, in the
sixth spot, by 19%.
NEXT UP:Global Accents Shake Up Menus

7. TREND 2
Global Accents
Shake Up
Menus
Global cuisines, trend-
forward chefs, adventure-
seeking diners, and worlds
of inspiration mix it up for a
modernist take on
America’s new melted-pot
cuisine.
What it means
American cuisine is a work in
progress, evolving right in step
with a changing populace.
Reflecting this diversity and giving
nod to a rich immigrant culture,
chefs merge and mix cuisines to
give American cooking its strongest
Authenticity is about
evolution.
Wolfgang Puck
If chefs have a superpower (and
they do!), it’s their ability to
observe and adapt to environments,
find culinary commonalties, weave
past experience to present
situations, and spin special magic
from local ingredients.

8. In capable hands, it all ends up in
deliciously orchestrated harmony
and never more so than now as
cook lines, chefs, and restaurant
owners are more diverse than ever,
upending the idea that culinary
styles must follow set patterns.
Said one American-born,
California-raised Indian chef/owner,
“We’re cooking our experiences.”
EvenChatGPTunderstands
the appeal of global culinary
mergers. Asked to create an on-
trend burger, it whipped up a
Caprese Avocado Burger that
57% of consumers polled
said they’d order.
Food and drink menus that borrow
heavily from traditions of two or
more countries—Japan and
Mexico, French and Filipino,
Peruvian and Japanese, Italian and
Israeli, and Cajun and Vietnamese
are some of the match-ups around
which restaurant concepts have
been built—are showing up in all
industry segments, the approaches
often wildly different. Fine dining
relies on respectful elegance while
colleges and casual restaurants
demonstrate a knack for turning
American menu icons into cheeky
takes with irreverent appeal, often
infusing them with street-food
attitudes.
Global Snapshot
World cuisines, from the most frequently menued Mexican,
Italian, and Thai, to up-trenders such as Malaysian, Uzbek, and
Filipino have both a proven track record on menus and strong
upside potential for deeper penetration, according to
Datassential.
Menu Adoption Cycle Stage:Ubiquity
Global influence is integrated into all parts of food
Menu Popularity:High
While it varies by each global cuisine, overall, the concept is highly menued
Growth:High
Global influence is one of the core areas of innovation
Trendability:High
Less familiar global cuisines are gaining awareness
Regionality:High
Influence of global cuisines varies by region driven by immigration patterns
of each region
Sashimi tostados, birria ramen,
masala cheese steaks, saag paneer
pizza, pepperoni pizza dumplings,
and hamburger arancini are among
the culinary odd couples on menus.
Expect the trend to gain traction;
as a group, Generation Z is proving
to show open-minded enthusiasm
for mixing and matching flavors,
inspirations, and techniques from
around the globe.
NEXT UP:Plant-Based Becomes a Mainstream Choice

9. TREND 3
Plant-Based
Becomes a
Mainstream
Choice
Plant-based and plant-
forward foods set deep
roots as appeal goes
mainstream and creative
menuing flourishes.
What it means
Many diners, especially Gen Z and
younger, see no reason for strict
“this” or “that” food-choice
lifestyles, choosing instead mixed
menus of animal- and plant-based
foods. Their anything-goes
appetites that eschew labels and
put all food and drink options on
the table are becoming the new
Most sources agree thatabout
5% of the U.S. population is
vegetarianand2% vegan, the
numbers largely static over time.
Hardcore adherents aren’t main
drivers in the growth of plant-based
products. Fuel instead comes from
consumers, often called flexitarians,
who play both sides. Citing health,
animal ethics, sustainability, and a
desire to diversify diets, they
happily alternate choices meal-to-
meal and day-to-day.

10. ON NEW TERMS
“Vegan,” long the term attached to
diets free of all animal products, has
for many been replaced by “plant-
based diet.” While the meaning is
the same, plant-based is more
inclusive, acknowledging the many
diners who opt to eat animal-free on
a meal-to-meal basis.
With an ever-widening supply of
plant-based meats, poultry,
seafood, cheese, dairy, egg
products, and sweets joining
creative applications for tofu,
beans, legumes, grains, fruits, and
vegetables, the base of actively
interested diners continues to grow
and flex multi-choice muscles.
Menus that give nod to these new
dining habits are strongly
positioned. Here are plant-based
and plant-forward selections that
brim with broad appeal:
Roasted summer squashwith
tamarind, labneh harra, cippolini
onions, and pistachio dukkah
Mushroom-walnut Bolognese,
with carrot paccheri, celery, and
mintCrispy celery root katsuwith
shiso, mustard sauce, apple umami
paste
Ember-cooked beetswith celery-
top purée, sunflower-seed pistou
Burgerwith lentils, cremini
mushrooms, and quinoa on toasted
brioche
Sunshine lentil-mushroom
burgerwith avocado, cashew-dill
cheese, arugula, sweet-chili mustard
on pretzel bun
Lemongrass tofu bahn mi
sandwichwith pickled carrots and
daikon, cucumber, cilantro,
jalapeños, soy sauce, and pepper on
70%
Amount of total U.S.
populationthat consumes
plant-based foods, up from
66% one year ago
CULTURE CLUB
Cell-cultured meats and poultry,
derived from animal stem cells and
grown in labs to bypass the
environmental impact of traditional
practices, are ready to face-off with
plant-based meat analogs; an okay
to market them has been approved.
Dominique Crenn of Bar Crenn in San
Francisco, is said to have been first to
have served cell-cultured chicken to
guests. Taste, texture, and
appearance are said to be near-
perfect mimics.
50%
Portion of so-called
flexitariansthat have
“foodie” instincts and a strong
desire to keep current with the
latest trends in dining
Sources–Trend 1:Flavor Trends for Food and Beverage (January 11, 2023); What Generation Shifts Mean for Predicting Food Trends (July 24, 2023); Datassential (July 6, 2023 Webinar).Trend 2:The Latest Restaurant Trend: Chaos Cooking (September 6, 2022);
Datassential, The World of Global Flavors (June 2023); Datassential, Ten Need to Know Facts and Figures From Our Mid-Year Trend Report (July 2023).Trend 3:How Many Vegans in the World? In the USA? (February 3, 2023); 2022 U.S. Retail Sales Data for the Plant-Based
Foods Industry (undated); Beneo Offers Insights About Flexitarian (June 6, 2022).

11. Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version Beverage Trends
Trend 4:Coffee’s Cold Rush
Trend 5:Healthful Hydration
Trend 6:Fresh New Beverage Flavors

12. TREND 4
Coffee’s
Cold Rush
Coffee enters the ice age
as more consumers reach
for specialty drinks that are
cold, bold, icy, slushy, and
strong.
Why it matters
Chill out with this fact: Some
chains report that up to75% of
beverage salesare iced drinks,
a trend with no signs of slowing.
Best part? So far, it doesn’t appear
to cannibalize hot coffee sales and
often leads to bigger spends.
SOCIALIZED LEARNING
49%of Gen Z consumers learn
about coffee trends, topics, and
culture from online sources such
as TikTok rather than from
coffee chains.

13. With nearlytwo-thirds of
Americansover age 18 grabbing
a daily dose of coffee, sales remain
solid across all industry segments.
It’s fair to say, though, that things
are cooling off in the best possible
way with a big bump up coming
from iced coffee. Younger
consumers especially show high
interest, regardless of the season.
In keeping with their ‘dare to be
different’ approach to life as well
as food and beverage choices, they
show strong interest in iced,
slushy, cold-brewed, and
customized. Noting that sales of
cold coffee beverages areup 23%
since 2021, the American National
Coffee Association predicts growth
to meet or exceed that number.
Variety of form and of flavor is the
big driver in these made-to-order
must-haves as consumers gravitate
to seemingly endless ‘have-it-your-
way’ scenarios. Syrups, sweeteners,
spices, dairy, alt-milks, shaken or
blended, slushy, creamy, foamy,
brewing method, and garnishes are
all part of the smorgasbord of
choices. When grab-and-go
convenience counts, younger
consumers also show strong
affinity for ready-to-drink coffee
beverages and cold brew.
Seen on Menus
Red Chili Mocha Java Freeze
Banana Cold Brew Latte with Warm Spices, Banana Chips, and Cocoa
Lavender White Chocolate
Sparkling Coffee and Orange Juice
Proffee with Brewed Coffee and Protein Powder
Iced French Toast Latte
Pumpkin Spice Frozen Latte
Pink Velvet Iced Macchiato
Iced Golden Caffe Latte
Snowcap Peppermint Cold Brew
HOT STUFF
Perking up on the hot side of
things: bolder blends, flat
whites, macchiatos, white
coffee, and cortados are in
position to move from fringes to
mainstream.
NEXT UP:Healthful Hydration

14. TREND 5
Healthful
Hydration
Cleaner, clearer, fresher
beverage options, often
served with a side of
functional, widen their
audience.
What it means
Consumption patterns and habits
often vary among age demographic
groups although for beverages
viewed as ‘good for you,’ Alphas,
Boomers, and everyone in between
share the love. Interest in these
‘Here’s to your health’ drinks is
expected to continue and so is
willingness to pay more for them.
Sure, beverages are chosen to
refresh and slake thirst but for a
growing body of consumers across
all age groups, so-called ‘clean’
formulations and additional
nutrient-dense enhancements have
heightening appeal. The trend,
which plays out in many industry
segments, is especially strong on
college campuses and in fast
casuals, QSRs, and c-stores where
Gen Zs and Alphas are drawn to

15. From fermentation and botanicals,
prebiotics and probiotics,
antioxidants, vitamins, minerals,
calming ingredients, and those said
to help keep minds sharp and
emotions calm, these enhanced
liquid assets are looked to as
important players in wellness
lifestyles.
Along with the positive physical
effects of functional beverages,
45% of consumersuse energy
drinks to help maintain focus.
They’re reading label claims and
ingredient lists, too, with75% of
consumersbeing more deliberate
in assessing products in order to
make better choices. Product traits
and values they look for include:
Clean label/natural ingredients
Nutritional information on labels
Health claims such as digestive
health and mental acuity
Sugar—reduced or no added sugar
No additives or artificial ingredients
Organic
Sustainability and environmental
claims
Plant-based choices are being
made in the beverage category,
too, with growth projected to
continue for alt-milks. Expected to
join the lineup: milks from quinoa,
hemp, spelt, millet, pistachios,
hazelnuts, walnuts, and sunflower
seeds.

16. Functional Beverage Market
42%
Amount of U.S. adultswho
like their food and drink to
contribute to both mental and
physical health
NEXT UP:Fresh New Beverage Flavors

17. TREND 6
Fresh New
Beverage
Flavors
Thirsty for fruit-based and
fruit-flavored beverages
that are new,
approachable, even a little
exotic, consumers look to
fresh tastes from Asia and
tropical islands.
What it means
With eye-candy colors, flavor
flashes of exoticism, and the
underlying suggestion that fruit
beverages deliver functional
benefits, new drink flavors offer
multisensory taste experiences that
engage consumer interest.
In terms of business-building
opportunity, juice-based beverages
are almost in a class by themselves,
positioned as strong-margin meal
upsells, between-daypart treats,
and essential building blocks for
mixology.

18. Familiar fruits and berries continue
to be reliably strong sellers, with
category growth coming via
product introductions. Reflective of
high interest in global ingredients,
these new flavors offer the type of
“delicious escapism” that grabs
the attention of thrill-seeking
consumers.
39%
Amount of consumers
who choose beverages as a
way to treat themselves
Menu scanning makes it easy to
spot a nearly universal go-to-
market strategy: Juice blends
proliferate, a partnering of newer,
less-familiar offerings with time-
proven ingredients; this makes it
easier for consumers to make
purchasing decisions and also
helps moderate higher food costs
carried by the newer offerings. A
recent lineup at one beverage
chain included three lemonades:
strawberry acai, pineapple-passion
fruit, and mango-dragon fruit, each
a balanced blend of classic favs
and new sensations.

19. Among the Asian and tropical fruit
flavors just beginning to filter into
the foodservice market, according
to Datassential, are lemongrass,
lychee, soursop, tamarind, and
yuzu. Penetrating even further onto
menus: acai, blood orange, coconut
water, dragon fruit, ginger, guava,
papaya, passion fruit, and tart
cherry. Other juices adding fresh
fillips: calamansi, kaffir lime/
makrut, pennywort, satsuma,
sudachi, and ube.
Fresh Piqued Interest
Sources–Trend 4:The Most Surprising Coffee Drinking Statistics and Trends in 2023 (March 23, 2023); Does Anyone Drink Hot Coffee Anymore? (September 8, 2022); 2023 Trend Report: Millennials and Gen Z Are Driving These Six Coffee Trends (undated); Will Traditional Coffee Shops Die
Out with Gen Z? (March 2, 2023); 2023 State of the Beverage Industry (July 6, 2023); Datassential Report Pro (August 2023).Trend 5:78% of Consumers Will Pay More for Clean Label, Natural Claims Despite Inflation (February 21, 2023); Consumers Demand Functional Beverages (May 1,
2023); Maximize Brand Value By Formulating for 2023 Consumer Food Preferences (undated); 2023 Food and Beverage Flavor Trend Report (undated); Functional Beverages Market Size & Share Analysis, Growth Trends & Forecasts (undated).Trend 6:Top 3 Global Flavor Beverage Trends for
2023 (undated) trackmind.com; Datassential Snap, Juice Trends (data pulled 2023); Ice Cream Trendspotting (January 25, 2022); Food and Beverage Flavor Trend Report (undated).

20. Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version Customer Trends
Trend 7:Customers Reset Mealtime Clocks
Trend 8:The Big Experience of Dining Out
Trend 9:Tech Tools Bump Up Customer Service

21. TREND 7
Customers
Reset Mealtime
Clocks
Timing of breakfast, lunch,
and dinner dayparts gets a
reset as diners adapt to
flexible work-from-home
schedules.
Why it matters
For many foodservice operations,
peak business times have
undergone significant shifts. It may
be time to adjust “Open for
Business” signs and follow the
road to increased traffic.
If meals once followed standard
breakfast-lunch-and-dinner
sequencing, that rhythm now is
more free-ranging and fluid.
Relaxed schedules, hybrid
workweeks, and shifting behaviors
create new opportunities as
consumers indulge in the freedom
of less time-bound days. Brunch
has moved from weekends only to
daily; working lunches often have
socializing on the agenda; late
lunches become early cocktail
gatherings; and dinnertime starts
earlier, this late-afternoon iteration
now without “early-bird” baggage.

22. Data from Yelp indicates that10%
of restaurant customersare
seated between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.,
a time slot that historically was
more bust than boom. Dinner
parties starting at 5 p.m. also
happen more frequently. Power
lunches, especially in business
districts, are less common amid
more relaxed ways of doing
business.
Of these all-day opportunities,
operators say if it improves cash
flow, do it. Tapping restaurant
technology is a good start point:
Review traffic counts from the
POS system to identify ebbs,
flows, upsides, and opportunities.
Some possibilities:
Longer weekday breakfast
hoursthat segue into brunch, the
menu adjusted for both meals
Stay openbetween lunch and
dinner
To the extent possible, focus less on
table turns; operators note that even
business meals tend to beslower
paced and more social
Especially in areas with less
nighttime activity, earlierdinner
openings and closings
RESETTING THE CLOCK
Uber trips to restaurants in the
4 p.m. hour have increased
almost 10%since 2019
while those after 8 p.m. have
fallen 9%.
NEXT UP:The Big Experience of Dining Out

23. TREND 8
The Big
Experience of
Dining Out
Consumer loyalty is less
about mass marketing and
more about building,
nurturing, and cultivating
relationships through food-
centric experiences large
and small.
Why it matters
How consumers interact with
restaurants and the depth of their
connection to them are
foundational to their future loyalty,
word-of-mouth recommendations,
reviews, and even social media
posts.
Share on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Facebook
The food, the service:
that is theexperience.
Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO,
National Restaurant Association

24. Take it as a sign that more
companies have CXOs. That’s chief
experience officer, and whether it’s
an actual job or a value seen
throughout the company,
memorable experiences are
increasingly important as consumers
seek affinity with favored brands.
From websites to menus, social
media, reservation systems, hosts,
servers, and bartenders, each
touchpoint has power shaped
customers’ impressions and
increased intentions to return.
In a recent report, the National Restaurant Association said84% of
consumers want restaurant experiences.Great food, service,
and value proposition are solid start points. Other ways to add dimension
to the loyalty-winning ‘wow’ factor:
Themed dinnersconvey intimacy
and community. They can center on
wines, guest chefs, holidays, and
local events, or include cooking or
mixology lessons. Entertainment,
immersive experiences, and
enhanced reality are also showing
upTableside servicelets diners
participate and fine-tune menu
items. Extra jalapeños in the guac,
salad with no anchovies, more
whipped cream on the cherries
jubilee? Just say the word
Flights of wine, coffee, and
dessertsbecome learning
experiences shared by diners with
the server and amongst each other
Posting photos on social
mediacan be irresistible for guests
and powerful marketing for operators.
Eye-candy settings make it easy.
Insider tip: include the restaurant
name in the design to ensure credit
NEXT UP:Tech Tools Bump Up Customer Service

25. TREND 9
Tech Tools
Bump Up
Customer
Service
On the hunt for restaurant
technology that improves
and enhances customer
service, operators say
they’re ready, set, to buy
the right stuff.
What it means
Tech solutions, long seen as
indispensable linchpins for back of
the house and for management,
are reaching further and applying
their operational strengths to
customer-facing uses. Sure,
personalized food and service
remain the industry’s solid
cornerstones but technology is the
turbo-charged wizard that’s driving
the machine.

26. Get with the program!Tech tools that boost access,
accuracy, speed, and personalization aren’t just embraced, but
demanded by patrons, nearly 30% of whom are under age 35,
digitally advanced, and completely accepting of the latest service-
oriented gadgets. Looking ahead to the coming year, here are key
areas of focus for restaurant technology.
The convenience ofcontactless
ordering and payment
systemsresides in the hearts and
minds of customers, granting them a
permanent place in operations,
especially QSRs, fast casuals, and
colleges. In fact,56%of customers
prefer online ordering. With92.3%
of users accessing the internet
mobily and nearly57%of website
traffic from mobile devices, intuitive
and accurate interfaces are essential
Improvementsinkiosk ordering
systemsshorten lines, increase
service speed, and often bump up
check averages
Vending machinesfor the
modern era and robotics that run
entire coffee shops are making
moves into colleges, healthcare, and
B&I, allowing quality offerings on
24/7 schedules with no staffing
requirements
With a significant percentage of
business coming fromdrive-thrus,
look for tech-enabled ways to
improve accuracy and “intuit”
moods, behaviors, and ordering
New uses for artificial
intelligence (AI)will emerge at
lightning speed. Initial forays: high-
efficiency, bilingual order taker on
phones and in drive-thrus, data
crunching, forecasts, marketing,
operational optimization, even
predicting trends
58%
Amount of operators who say that use of tech and
automationto ease labor shortages and improve service will
continue although these tech solutions are seen as complementary
partners to human capital. The chief goal is to enhance and assist
rather than replace staff.
Sources–Trend 7:Brunch Is Now an Event Seven Days a Week (May 24, 2023) wsj.com; America Is Becoming a Nation of Early Birds (July 19, 2023) wsj.com.Trend 8:
The Hill: The Economic Snapshot with Bob Cusack. YouTube (May 2023); 2023 State of the Restaurant Industry (February 23, 2023 restaurant.org).Trend 9:United States
Demographic Statistics (May 16, 2021); Top Restaurant Technology Trends (April 26, 2023); Internet Traffic From Mobile Devices (July 4, 2023); A New Normal Takes Hold
(February 28, 2023).
CONCLUSION
With cheerful efficiency, a happy bias to hospitality, and
unwavering devotion to excellence, the foodservice industry
does many things extremely well. It serves countless guests each
day, employs and provides a livelihood for 15.6 million workers,
and pumps plenty into the nation’s economy. Armed with
insights on key trends, opportunities, and a few caveats,
operators across all segments can move confidently into the new
terrain of 2024, contributing to and benefitting from its
momentum, growth, and goodwill.

27. About Nestlé Professional
Nestlé Professional is dedicated to being an inspiring growth partner that
delivers creative, branded food and beverage solutions, enabling
foodservice operators to delight their consumers. FromMinor’s
®
,
Stouffer’s
®
,Chef-mate
®
, andTrio
®
on-trend culinary items to innovative
beverage systems underNESCAFÉ
®
,Nestlé
®
Vitality
®
, andCoffee mate
®
brands, Nestlé Professional meets the needs of foodservice operators
while satisfying the tastes of the out-of-home consumer. Nestlé
Professional is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland—the world’s
largest food company—with sales of over $98 billion. For more
foodservice product news and information, visit
www.nestleprofessional.com.
The information provided is based on a general
industry overview and is not specific to your
business operation. Each operation is unique, and
business decisions should be made after
consultation with appropriate experts.

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