CHICAGO , July 27, 2023 - Datassential, the leading food and beverage intelligence platform, has released its 2023 Midyear Trend Report, revealing that barbecued chicken wings are the fastest-growing item on menus today, rising a staggering 373% from a year ago.
The report also reveals, among its insight-packed findings, that the term "homemade" is the biggest crave-driver for consumers, and a whopping two-thirds of consumers want to see "microtrends" or social media fads show up at restaurants.
"We're always excited to showcase the latest food trends we see gaining traction in our Midyear Trend Report," said Mike Kostyo, Associate Director and Trendologist at Datassential. "Understanding what these trends are and how to implement them is critical for food industry professionals to stay ahead of the curve all year long - and to be able to plan for the long term."
The annual report features the latest insights on headline trends in the food industry, consumer views on the state of hospitality, and deep research on what's hot on menus today and what should grow in the future. What's included:
Food, Flavor & Menu
Using more than two decades' worth of menu data along with consumer preferences for 4,000 flavors and ingredients and 40,000+ consumer-rated LTO (Limited Time Offer) concepts, we provide an overview of:
What's growing in a range of menu categories, from birria to beverages, and what to keep an eye on in the future
Trends that are evolving into more widely known status - from roti to chili crisp - and an overview of the foods and flavors that have just debuted on our Menu Adoption Cycle (MAC), from calamansi to juustoleipa
Top dishes from a review of more than 2,000 new menu items and LTOs
Macro Trends
Leveraging deep food industry insights, paired with extensive operator and consumer research, the report highlights:
How customers feel about the state of service in the food industry, from customer service to "tipping fatigue"
The latest on AI, how restaurants are using it, and the results from our consumer testing of AI-created menu items
How to harness fast-moving social media trends to reach today's consumers
What menu descriptions are catching consumers' attention, and what categories consumers most associate with craveability
Looking ahead
Using our comprehensive solutions that track consumer preferences and menu trends over time, including an AI-powered forecast on individual dishes and flavors, we unveil what's ahead for fall and winter menus, and offer a preview of the themes we see for 2024.
Fall & Winter Flavor Preview 2023: Last year, fruit flavors like apple took over fall menus. What's the state of the ever-popular pumpkin? Explore the growth of spicy and savory.
2024 Trend Preview: We preview some of the themes you'll find in our 2024 Annual Trends Report, from restaurant technology to generational shifts, which will be released later this year.
Download a free preview of the 2023 Midyear Trend Report here and join our webinar featuring these trends. The full report is available only to subscribers. To become a subscriber, click here.
About Datassential
Datassential is the leading food and beverage intelligence platform providing guidance on trends, competitive benchmarking, and sales intelligence. Through a suite of AI-powered solutions, an intuitive UI, and proprietary data, the food and beverage ecosystem relies on Datassential to more effectively develop, market, and sell their products. Founded in 2001, Datassential powers insights and sales intelligence for brands including Burger King, DoorDash, General Mills, Land O' Lakes, Pepsi, Starbucks, Target, and more.
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