Consumer Trends
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BurgerFi’s sales fell 10% in Q1
The chain attributed some of its difficulties to a consumer pullback, but said weather accounted for its exceptionally poor performance.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 15, 2024 -
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Sponsored by SupHerb Farms®The global flavor craze
Unlock the latest global flavor trends that will attract each generation to your operation.
By SupHerb Farms • May 13, 2024 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineTop 5 stories from Restaurant Dive
Check out a selection of articles about some of the biggest trends — from personalized loyalty programs to a growing catering boom — shaping the restaurant industry during the first half of 2024.
By Restaurant Dive staff -
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Sponsored by SquareGet the most out of the National Restaurant Association Show with Square
Whether you’re attending in person or tuning in from home, growth is on the agenda this year. Take a glimpse at what Square will cover.
May 13, 2024 -
Permission granted by ezCater
Operators predict continued catering boom
Return-to-office is increasing demand for business catering as employers use meal plans to draw workers in-person, according to a survey from ezCater.
By Julie Littman • May 9, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Dine’s sales sour on virtual brand closures, slow traffic
IHOP and Applebee’s promotions and LTOs weren’t enough to offset a dip in consumer spending during Q1.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 8, 2024 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Wendy’s credits loyalty program, mobile app investments for customer growth
“The experience we deliver to our customers is the most impactful driver of our business,” CEO Kirk Tanner said.
By Bryan Wassel • May 7, 2024 -
Stephen Chernin via Getty Images
Starbucks’ late-night delivery pilot ‘doubled our business,’ CEO says
A third-party partner prepared Starbucks orders for delivery offsite between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the coffee giant aims to make a $2 billion business out of this model over the next five years.
By Emma Liem Beckett • May 7, 2024 -
Courtesy of Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen targets dinner customers with steak
The salad chain is following up the successful rollout of protein plates last year with steak, which accounted for nearly one-fifth of dinner orders in a pilot.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 7, 2024 -
Permission granted by Square
Sponsored by SquareThe top restaurant trends in 2024
Restaurant owners crave tools that provide better insights that they can use to connect with their customers, integrate with other solutions, and receive real-time information about the health of their business.
By Natalie Zunker • May 6, 2024 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
McDonald’s credits speed, personalization for high satisfaction
The fast food chain is attracting consumers with customized messaging and cementing their loyalty with swift and consistent service.
By Bryan Wassel • May 2, 2024 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
Shake Shack’s kiosks are now its largest ordering channel
The chain added upselling options to its kiosks and made the channel’s customization experience more similar to online ordering.
By Julie Littman • May 2, 2024 -
Courtesy of Subway
Back to Basics: What builds a good snacking menu?
Diner demand for specific snack items depends on their mood, time of day and ease of travel, experts said, opening up an array of traffic-boosting innovation opportunities for restaurants.
By Danielle McLean • May 1, 2024 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Starbucks’ mobile ordering is so popular, it’s slowing some orders down
Starbucks will roll out new procedures that will help workers reduce wait times, CEO Laxman Narasimhan said Tuesday.
By Bryan Wassel • May 1, 2024 -
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ColumnPardon the Disruption: What the sudden loss of Foxtrot and Dom’s means for retail
Their demise underscores just how difficult it is to bring new, innovative ideas to life in the shadow of large-scale competitors and the grinding need for efficiency.
By Jeff Wells • April 30, 2024 -
Permission granted by Clean Juice
Brix Holdings to buy Clean Juice
The Christian juice chain, which lost dozens of franchise locations over changes to its business model, sold itself for undisclosed terms.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 29, 2024 -
Courtesy of Virtual Dining Concepts
IHOP adds 2 new Virtual Dining Concept brands, expands another
IHOP is focusing on virtual brands as a solution to traffic problems in non-peak dayparts and thinks two sports-themed brands could lift sales.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 25, 2024 -
Thai Phi Le/Restaurant Dive
Why dynamic pricing sours restaurant dining experiences
Nearly two-thirds of consumers had a negative reaction to dynamic pricing, a HungerRush survey found.
By Kristen Doerer • April 17, 2024 -
Permission granted by Wow Bao
Wow Bao links restaurant rewards to Roblox in platform-first integration
Metaverse hype may have dissipated, but brands remain interested in leveraging games like Roblox to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
By Peter Adams • April 11, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Fast food is getting faster, data shows
Limited-service chains maintained an edge in traffic growth relative to casual dining, likely due to continued improvements in throughput, Placer.ai reported.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 10, 2024 -
Patpitchaya via Getty Images
Dynamic pricing firm Juicer snags $5.3M in funding
Restaurant pricing tools may help operators boost sales in lagging dayparts, but consumer sensitivity about these applications is still powerful.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 10, 2024 -
Permission granted by Cliff's
4 hot c-store flavor trends for summer
Sweet and spicy pairings, tropical fruits and international influences will see a surge as the weather heats up, experts say.
By Christine Blank • April 9, 2024 -
Courtesy of KFC
KFC adds $4.99 meal deal through year’s end
As restaurants across the board face dwindling traffic, the chicken chain is leaning on aggressive discounting to draw customers.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 8, 2024 -
Permission granted by First Watch
How 6 casual dining companies faced falling traffic
From First Watch to Olive Garden, major casual dining restaurants saw inflation-conscious consumers cut back on visits.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 5, 2024 -
Courtesy of Dave's Hot Chicken
Dave’s Hot Chicken tests kiosks, bigger drinks in face of $20 CA wage
The fast-growing chain is raising prices 9% and testing tech that it says boosts check but doesn’t cut labor costs.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 1, 2024 -
Permission granted by Square
Sponsored by SquareThe Future of Restaurants Report: 2024 Edition
The Square Future of Restaurants report will give you insight into how global restaurant owners are staying competitive and what motivates customers to dine with them.
April 1, 2024
