Consumer Trends: Page 9

  • Wendy's global CMO Carl Loredo speaks during an Advertising Week New York session on Oct. 16, 2023
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    Courtesy of AWNewYork
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    What Wendy’s global CMO Carl Loredo learned from Taylor Swift

    The executive explained how fandom, value and nostalgia come together for the QSR chain during an Advertising Week New York discussion.

    By Chris Kelly • Oct. 18, 2023
  • A diverse audience of smiling and laughing businesspeople are shown sitting in on a conference keynote. The right side of the speaker's back is visible to the camera.
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    Cecilie_Arcurs via Getty Images
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    9 restaurant industry events to attend in 2024

    The coming year is packed with conferences focused on hot-button restaurant issues ranging from franchise operations to generative artificial intelligence. 

    By • Oct. 13, 2023
  • A photograph of chefs in a kitchen. Explore the Trendline➔
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    sam edwards via Getty Images
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    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
  • Sliders featuring Beyond Chicken in various preparations with a flag of the company logo in a bun sit on a counter.
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    Courtesy of Beyond Meat
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    Are diners souring on plant-based meat analogues at restaurants?

    Despite high-profile debuts, a number of QSRs quickly dropped plant-based menu items. Preliminary research on plant-based spending in grocery stores may offer clues for the category’s long-term viability in restaurants.

    By Kristine Sherred • Oct. 11, 2023
  • Caribou Coffee's 2023 pumpkin LTOs.
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    Courtesy of Caribou Coffee
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    How pumpkin spice became the unshakeable king of coffee LTOs

    Developing the autumnal flavor for cold drinks, which are surging in popularity, is a technical feat. But recent innovations may secure the flavor’s dominance for years to come, experts say.

    By • Oct. 10, 2023
  • A beige building with gold signage that says "Nusr-Et"
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    Leon Neal via Getty Images
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    How Salt Bae created a one-of-a-kind dining experience

    After opening 10 steakhouses within the last three years, Nusr-Et plans to expand its Salt Bae Burger brand in airports and add dance lounges to several flagship locations.

    By • Oct. 5, 2023
  • Promotional images of phone screens showing Sweetgreen's app.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen adds in-store loyalty offer

    This rewards expansion could grow frequency among Sweetgreen customers, 50% of whom order on-premise.

    By • Sept. 26, 2023
  • A stack of uncooked Impossible Burger patties separated by wax paper on a yellow background
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    Courtesy of Impossible Foods
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    Slumping demand forces 2 California plant-based startups to close

    Hooray Foods and Nowadays, which both had restaurant clients, join a growing list of companies in the category that have gone out of business or scaled back their growth plans.

    By Elizabeth Flood • Sept. 25, 2023
  • An image of a building with Cracker Barrel branding
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    Courtesy of Cracker Barrel
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    Cracker Barrel debuts rewards program to drive sales, traffic

    The chain hopes that the platform, which launched nationwide Wednesday, can improve performance after retail and restaurant sales missed Q4 expectations. 

    By • Sept. 21, 2023
  • Half of the image is a orange background with the other half depicting a person on bike, sipping a coffee.
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    Courtesy of Peet's Coffee
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    Peet’s Coffee brews large integrated campaign with Mischief

    Hold the foam: Consumers’ love of simple, quality coffee sits at the center of what the brand says is its largest campaign to date.

    By Sara Karlovitch • Sept. 18, 2023
  • A Pilot foodservice employee.
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    Courtesy of Pilot Travel Centers
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    Diners are happy with c-store food — but retailers have work to do, report says

    Operators need to guard against complacency, as the number of customers “extremely satisfied” with c-store foodservice has fallen from 2022, Intouch Insight said.

    By Jessica Loder • Sept. 11, 2023
  • A stock image of a consumer examining a receipt.
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    Patpitchaya via Getty Images
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    Restaurants should expect a modest negative impact on sales with student loan repayments

    Starbucks, Chipotle and Shake Shack could see same-store sales growth slow as high-income consumers may cut spending, said BTIG.

    By • Sept. 11, 2023
  • A double-decker plant-based burger with lettuce and tomato, American cheese, pickles and other toppings sitting on a white wood-grain surface with white wood paneling in the background.
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    Courtesy of Beyond Meat
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    Plant-based sales in foodservice surge, rebuffing broader slowdown in category

    Following pandemic-induced declines, the space is seeing more promise in the foodservice sector. 

    By Elizabeth Flood • Sept. 7, 2023
  • An image of a Veggie Grill restaurant with tables and umbrellas outside.
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    Permission granted by Veggie Grill
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    Q&A

    Veggie Grill closed nearly half its stores to protect its future, CEO says

    Shifting demographics in a post-pandemic world made some of the plant-chain’s restaurants unprofitable, CEO T.K. Pillan said.

    By • Sept. 5, 2023
  • A pair of ghostly hands surround a new Burger King Whopper that features black sauce underneath orange text reading, "Home of the Ghosts Whopper."
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    Retrieved from CNW Group/Burger King Canada on October 11, 2022
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    Burger King must face class action suit over Whopper size

    A federal judge denied the chain's efforts to scrap a complaint over the size of Whoppers in advertisements, which consumers claim made the burgers look 35% larger.

    By • Updated Aug. 30, 2023
  • A fast food employee hands a brown bag to a waiting customer in a car.
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    kmatija via Getty Images
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    How 5 fast food chains are seeing late-night traffic grow

    Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell saw visits rise from Q1 to Q2, Placer.ai data finds.

    By , • Aug. 25, 2023
  • Three sizes of plastic cups with the green Starbucks logo and plastic lids.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks and Turn Systems’ reusable cup pilot aims for waste reduction

    This is the coffee giant’s largest reusables test program so far, and findings could pave the way for a fully scaled, permanent program.

    By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 23, 2023
  • Dunkin's Pumpkin spice lineup has debuted earlier and earlier in recent years.
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    Courtesy of Dunkin
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    You’re not imagining it — pumpkin spice drinks are rolling out earlier

    August is the new autumn in the coffee category, as giants like Starbucks and smaller players like Tim Horton’s push the fall flavor profile in their cold beverage categories. 

    By • Updated Aug. 23, 2023
  • Cornell University clock tower and campus
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    Retrieved from Flickr user Clarice Oliveira on January 11, 2021
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    Cornell will not renew Starbucks contract amid student pressure

    The university’s agreement with the coffee giant ends in June 2025, and some students are counting Cornell’s decision to source a new vendor as win for organized labor. 

    By • Aug. 18, 2023
  • A photo of people dining outside.
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    Byron Smith/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
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    NYC mayor signs permanent outdoor dining program into law

    Dining Out NYC addresses residents’ concerns about outdoor dining structures’ impact on sanitation and quality of life, and streamlines the process for restaurants to offer sidewalk and streetside service. 

    By • Aug. 16, 2023
  • Wendy's is adding English muffin sandwiches to its breakfast menu on Aug. 22.
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    Courtesy of Wendy's
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    Wendy’s adds English muffin sandwiches to breakfast menu

    The chain’s new offerings are designed to encourage diners to visit during the morning daypart, which it believes can grow sales without added labor costs.

    By • Aug. 14, 2023
  • Beyond Meat's The Beyond Burgers in their packaging.
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    (Drew Angerer/Staff) via Getty Images
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    Troubled Beyond Meat reduces 2023 outlook as revenues plummet by almost a third

    The plant-based meat company reported disappointing second quarter results as the brand struggles to educate consumers on the benefits of its products.

    By Elizabeth Flood • Aug. 10, 2023
  • Taco Bell is testing a new design for its Go Mobile stores, pictured here.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell tests new Go Mobile design focused on digital, delivery

    The model features a walk-up window for digital and delivery orders in a bid to ease late-night operational challenges and trim development costs.

    By • Aug. 9, 2023
  • Wing Zone delivery
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    Permission granted by WIng Zone
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    Wing Zone unveils spinoff Hot Chicken concept in Las Vegas

    Wing Zone Hot Chicken and Wings Restaurant, which has one unit so far, is designed to capture consumer interest in the Nashville-inspired food.

    By • Aug. 8, 2023
  • 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