7 Restaurant Food Trends You're About to See Everywhere
If there's one constant about the world of restaurants, it's that things are constantly changing. New restaurants open. Struggling restaurants close. Chains add new food and beverage options and eliminate menu items too. And, of course, hot new food trends are always making an appearance on restaurant menus.
Last year, unique spins on the classic martini and "eatertainment" concepts were among the trends that swept the industry. In 2024, a handful of exciting new trends are also cementing their grip on restaurants, with affordability, nostalgia, and bold flavors emerging as some of the major themes.
We've rounded all the restaurant food trends that are popping up everywhere in 2024, with help from Tara Lewis, a trend expert at the popular restaurant review site Yelp. So, read on to learn how diners across the country are eating this year! And make sure to check out Yelp's Trend Tracker if you're interested in staying up to date with future food trends. The page is often updated with new themes sweeping the restaurant world.
The value wars are on
Out of all the big trends dominating the restaurant industry in 2024, few are quite as ubiquitous as affordability. In light of growing complaints about rising menu prices, scores of chains have been introducing special value meals and promotions aimed at enticing inflation-wary consumers back into stores.
McDonald's, Burger King, Popeyes, Taco Bell, and Buffalo Wild Wings, are only a sampling of the eateries that have rolled out these types of deals—and data from the foot-traffic platform Placer.ai indicates that some of the promotions are already working just as intended. The consumer interest is also definitely there. Searches for "meal deal" were up 307% on Yelp this past June year-over-year, while "value meal" searches were up 240%.
"I think that we're just entering a period of time where people are really benefiting from those price points, considering it's sometimes hard to grab a cup of coffee for $5 these days," says Lewis.
The Caesar salad is having a moment
The Caesar salad is certainly nothing new. In fact, the savory, satisfying dish celebrated its 100th birthday on July 4 this year. But despite its impressive age, the Caesar salad is having a bit of a moment in 2024. Searches for "Caesar salad" were up 57% year-over-year on Yelp in June, while searches for "chicken Caesar wrap" were up 80%.
Lewis believes the surge in popularity may have something to do with what some have declared the "it girl" meal of the summer: Caesar salad, a side of fries, and a dry martini. Lewis also notes that lots of fun spins on the classic Caesar salad have been popping up on restaurant menus and social media, from chicken Caesar wraps to chicken Caesar salad pizzas.
"It's exciting to see how the Caesar salad is being embraced and reimagined in different ways, whether it's deconstructed or reintroduced with slightly different ingredients," she says.
Everyone's loving limoncello
While the Aperol spritz has been exploding in popularity in recent years, many diners are opting for a lemony Italian liqueur in their spritzes in 2024: limoncello. Yelp searches for limoncello were up 135% in June, while searches for "limoncello spritz" were up 127%.
With the summer travel season in full swing, Lewis believes the rising popularity of limoncello at restaurants could represent "people trying to recreate those moments from their Italian vacation experiences."
Plus, the past popularity of the Aperol spritz can pave the way for other spritz varieties like limoncello to have their moment, Lewis adds.
Orange cream is having a resurgence
One of the massive flavor trends sweeping the restaurant industry right now will send you right back to your childhood. Orange cream-flavored menu items have been arriving on tons of restaurant menus this year, with Wendy's, IHOP, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, and Cold Stone Creamery among the chains jumping on the trend.
Consumer interest in the flavor has been on the rise in tandem with all of these menu launches. Yelp searches for "creamsicle" were up 67% in June 2024 year-over-year, while searches for "orange cream" were up 132% in June.
Lewis suspects that the versatility of the flavor profile and the nostalgia it evokes for the frozen orange cream bars people enjoyed when they were young are both part of why it's so popular right now.
"I do wonder if there's a tie to nostalgia in the resurgence, but also there's a lot of creative ways that you can incorporate sort of an orange cream or creamsicle profile into different drinks or desserts or even other types of beverages," she says.
Mocktails are becoming more prevalent
Despite the rising popularity and prevalence of limoncello at restaurants, alcohol isn't everyone's beverage of choice this summer. Mocktails and zero-proof cocktails have been increasing in popularity on Yelp for years—with Gen Z and millennials largely driving the shift—and they're continuing to have a moment in 2024.
Yelp searches for "mocktails" were up 38% in May year-over-year, while searches for "non alcoholic" were up 34%. Lewis has also noticed more sections dedicated to mocktails, zero-proof cocktails, and low ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks popping up on restaurant menus.
"There is sort of a cultural shift taking place in terms of how people are thinking about drinking and embracing inclusivity, flavor, and creativity in their social connections in other ways," she says.
"Swicy" flavors are everywhere
With Wingstop giving its Hot Honey Rub a permanent spot on the menu, Wendy's rolling out its new Honey BBQ Saucy Nuggets, and Starbucks launching a whole line of limited-edition Spicy Lemonade Refreshers, the sweet and spicy (aka "swicy") trend is taking the restaurant industry by storm in 2024.
Consumers certainly have no shortage of interest in the flavor pairing right now. Yelp searches for one of the most beloved ways to enjoy the swicy trend, "hot honey," were up 240% in May 2024 versus June 2023.
Though Lewis says the sweet and spicy trend has been going on for years, Lewis says that "swicy" is becoming much more mainstream as diners look for exciting twists on their foods and beverages. Don't expect the sweet and spicy trend to die down anytime either. Lewis believes this one has "staying power," she says.
Diners can't get enough chicken
Move over, beef. Chicken is getting its time to shine in 2024. After enjoying a surge in popularity amid the chicken sandwich wars a few years back, more and more chicken items have been popping up on restaurant menus. Even chains that are perhaps best known for their beef have been putting more emphasis on chicken lately. Burger King, for example, recently began testing a new line of grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps, while McDonald's continues to expand upon its McCrispy chicken sandwich line that debuted in 2021. Boneless chicken options seem to extra appeal to diners right now. Yelp searches for "chicken tenders" were up 21% in June 2024 year-over-year, while searches for "chicken nuggets" were up 18%.
Lewis believes the continued rising popularity of chicken could be partially due to its relative affordability, as well as a recent trend of consumers looking to incorporate more protein into their diets.
"I can see that chicken can be an accessible protein source as well as something that is at a price point that a lot of people can have access to via fast casual, fast food, or otherwise," she notes.
Sign up for our newsletter!
