7 mega-trends driving restaurant menus in 2025

The one thing certain about trend predictions is their uncertainty. In an industry that is constantly evolving, pinpointing what will happen in restaurants and on menus in the year ahead can be a crapshoot.

But here at Restaurant Business we have an in with some of the industry’s top forecasters and researchers. We were able to interview the experts, gather data and distill the information to present what we believe are the overriding trends to watch in 2025. We also sprinkled in some of our own expertise for added flavor. Here’s what we came up with, in no particular order.

Value

Consumers are demanding value in return for the hard-earned money they spend at restaurants. According to Technomic’s 2025 annual outlook, 72% of consumers wish more restaurants would offer value meals. And many have in 2024, with discounts and deals trending upward, especially in the second half of the year. 

But value can be delivered in ways that don’t eat into profits. “For consumers, the value equation can involve much more than price,” said Lizzy Freier, director, menu research & insights for Restaurant Business sister research firm Technomic. “They have expectations about quality and expectations about the experience.”

Mike Kostyo, vice president at Menu Matters, a food industry consulting firm, agrees that quality is as important as price for consumers. “Operators who go all in on value pricing shoot themselves in the foot,” he said. “Too many low-priced deals can devalue the menu.”

Freier added that diners are looking for menu items that are hard to make at home, as well as higher quality proteins and global ingredients they can’t purchase in a grocery store. “It’s that ‘wow’ factor that restaurants can deliver,” she said. And both agree that restaurants can create value through presentation, service and hospitality.

Sustainability

The National Restaurant Association named “Sustainability and Local Sourcing” as the No. 1 trend in its “What’s Hot 2025 Culinary Trend Forecast.” The chefs and other industry professionals surveyed identified restaurants’ commitment to sustainability as the leading trend that will impact where consumers choose to eat out. But the majority of diners—and operators—can’t easily define sustainability. That said, how can restaurants promote it?

To-go packaging can be sustainable and Instagrammable. | Photo courtesy of AF&Co. + Carbonate.

Sustainability on menus can take many forms besides local sourcing. Recycled takeout containers, upcycled ingredients, composting, zero-waste cooking, environmentally friendly ingredients and more. Restaurants need to zero in on simple-to-understand specifics to attract consumers. Most consumers don’t know what regenerative agriculture is, and it can be too complex to describe on a menu.

“Decide what you stand for; what is your ethos of sustainability and showcase it on the menu and in social media, especially for Gen Zers,” said Kostyo. Gen Z is the most sustainably aware and concerned group of diners. “Make sure your messaging is trustworthy and relevant,” he added.

Protein

The popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs and protein’s perceived health halo have pushed the nutrient front and center on menus. Restaurants are not only innovating around traditional animal and plant proteins and noting protein grams in menu items, they’re adding protein in unusual places.

Sweetgreen recently added steak as an elevated protein option for its bowls. | Photo courtesy of Sweetgreen.

Recently, lattes, pancakes, oatmeal and smoothies have gotten a protein boost with whey powder and other sources. And chains including Sweetgreen, Panda Express and El Pollo Loco have introduced protein-centric meals and called them out as such. Technomic’s latest COP (Center of the Plate) Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report found that 45% of consumers have increased beef consumption to add more protein to their diets, up from 32% a few years ago. 

Additionally, fermented proteins are making waves on menus. These are produced when bacteria or yeast are introduced to break down protein sources. Tempeh, for example, is made by fermenting soybeans, while cheese results from milk fermentation. “I think we may see more fermented proteins on menus which will reduce raising and slaughtering animals. These modern protein options will bridge the gap between the regular animal-based foods we are used to and the plant-based alternatives, and therefore will appeal to a broader audience,” said Melissa Araujo, chef-owner of Alma Café in New Orleans.

Tempeh is a fermented plant-based protein that can be used across the menu. | Photo: Shutterstock

Newness

In Menu Matters’ survey of consumers, the one overriding need state for 2025 was “just give me something new.” Nostalgia and comfort are so 2024; 39% of consumers are hopeful and more optimistic going into this year, and they are looking for more newness on menus, reported Maeve Webster, president of Menu Matters. Good news for restaurants: the goal for 35% of respondents is “to get out of the house.”

“They are looking to the food industry to wake them up, bring them together and show them something unique and even a little mind blowing,” is Menu Matters’ advice.

While it’s fine to adopt flavor and ingredient trends, don’t offer the same foods everyone else is offering. Kale salads and hot honey, anyone? 

“Get away from the single ingredient or dish that’s everywhere,” added Kostyo. “Have it in your toolbox but don’t throw it on everything. Consumers are getting burned out from bandwagoning.” 

Instead, he suggests playing the long game. “Position your restaurant as the place to come and try new and fun flavors, applying them on familiar platforms,” said Kostyo. Sampling is also a good, low-risk tactic to turn customers on to a new flavor or ingredient without a large monetary investment.

Snacking 

Gen Z is powering the snacking trend forward, with 26% of that cohort saying they eat out more frequently throughout the day. And the demand for anytime, anywhere eating shows no sign of slowing down. “Snackification”—the replacement of meals with snacks or expanding a meal with a snack item—is now firmly entrenched in foodservice vocabulary. And restaurants are jumping on the trend.

Market research firm Circana revealed in its 39th annual “Eating Patterns in America” research that away-from-home snacking is growing and in every daypart. Limited-service chains including Subway, Wendy’s, Jamba and Bojangles are feeding the demand with snacks ranging from healthy smoothies and downsized sandwiches to indulgent sweets.

As with protein, GLP-1 weight loss drugs are contributing to the trend. Dieters are required to eat smaller portions of nutrient-dense foods throughout the day. Expect to see more elevated, chef-driven snacks on full-service menus to meet this requirement as the year progresses.

“Guests eating at the bar has opened this up,” said Simon Dolinsky, director of culinary development and support for IHG hotel company. The Middle Eastern-inspired mezze platter served at Ladyhawk at Kimpton La Peer Hotel in Los Angeles feature lots of bites and tearable bread, giving guests a chance to come and go, socialize and interact.

Diners are substituting shareable snacks for meals, like this Mediterranean mezze platter at Ladyhawk in Los Angeles. | Photo courtesy of Kimpton Hotels.

Mindful drinking

We’ve been tracking the steady increase in both the quantity and quality of alcohol-free drink menus for a couple of years now. Mocktails, zero-proof, spirit-free—whatever the terminology, well-crafted cocktails that don’t contain alcohol are table stakes now.

Bartenders and restaurants are ready to explore the next frontier: Low ABV cocktails and wines with less alcohol. While a number of consumers are eliminating alcohol completely, many others are looking for lower-proof drinks that offer the same depth and texture as the full-proof kind. Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits discovered a variety of these options on its 2024 Liquid Insights Tour, including an Austin, Texas, restaurant with a drink that blends Amari with tonic and citrus, and a Portland wine bar that offers vermouth mixed with club soda and fruit as part of its “High Pressure / Low Proof” highball section.

“We are also seeing many new distillers come on the market with low alcohol content [spirits], indicating that drinkers aren’t necessarily looking for high booze content anymore,” said Araujo of Alma Café.

The same goes for wine. In its 2025 Hospitality Trends Report, San Francisco-based marketing agency AF&Co/Carbonate pointed out that consumers are asking for lower alcohol wines, and wineries are delivering. Cupcake Vineyards has a line of LightHearted Wines with about 33% less calories, and Arlow Wines offers a Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Rose with 6.5% ABV. Lower calorie wines, already produced by several winemakers for drinkers on diets, are inherently lower in alcohol and can also be marketed as mindful drinking alternatives. 

AI

In the NRA’s “What’s Hot” survey, Artificial Intelligence Integration showed up as a macro-trend reflecting consumers’ “bigger picture priorities.” Most operators are just beginning to dip their toes in AI, but several forecasters believe menu innovation is a good place to start.

“AI can be your creative partner in the kitchen—a platform to bounce off ideas,” said Kostyo. He gives the example of the task of creating another chicken sandwich. AI can spit out ideas, photos, even recipes. “Use it to help you do what you do best,” he added.

AI can also free up operators to connect with consumers. “Social listening” is a benefit to take advantage of, according to AF&Co./Carbonate. Companies are inviting fans to co-create through interactive campaigns by using AI to generate unique designs, personalized product concepts and virtual experiences that bring their ideas to life in real time. 

“I think we will start seeing more AI-integrated experiences in restaurants. Whether it’s putting chatbots on websites to help with planning special occasions or making reservations, to using AI to track dining habits and being able to tailor menu suggestions based on allergies, dietary preferences etc., AI will be a valuable tool for restaurant owners,” said Araujo.

We predict that 2025 will be a breakout year for AI in restaurants, but experts caution that it should be used to augment, not substitute, for human creativity. As food tech consultant Liz Moskow told my colleague Joe Guzskowski, “For chefs, [AI] means moving beyond the rote and repetitive to focus on what makes us uniquely human: creativity, storytelling, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in food.” 

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