Reflecting on 2024: How Did Foodservice Trend Predictions Measure Up?
We review our 2024 predictions to evaluate accuracy and better understand the industry shifts that shaped the past year
Dine and Drive: Restaurant traffic expected to grow at drive-through and during breakfast.
PHOTO CREDIT: Fotostorm / iStock photo
Below, we've collected capsule information for each section of our 2024 Predictions, in areas such as sustainability, foodservice and global flavors. Within each capsule, you will find our 2024 predictions and assessments of their accuracy. Engaging in this exercise has helped our editorial staff gain clarity about what key developments transpired in the food and beverage throughout 2024. We hope that our reflection and transparency presents you with a better understanding of current market forces, and an opportunity for learning where your brand fits within the momentum of trends carrying us into 2025.
Let's have a look.
FOODSERVICE
What's on the Menu in 2024?
Technomic says foodservice growing—but operators and menus must stay feisty, innovative
PREDICTION: The industry’s wild ride post-pandemic would settle down, returning to low, single-digit growth, with limited-service restaurants benefiting from unit growth, while full-service operators would need to offer competitive pricing and value.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction seems on point. While inflation has pressured both consumers and businesses, 2024 has seen more stable growth than in the volatile pandemic years. Limited-service restaurants have indeed experienced continued demand as consumers look for more affordable dining options. Sit-down restaurants that innovated with value-oriented experiences, competitive pricing, or differentiated service have performed better amid rising costs.
2. Shift in Consumer Dining Occasions
PREDICTION: Consumers would shift their spending from delivery to takeout/drive-thru, with breakfast becoming the new go-to meal, and brunch overtaking dinner as a social and affordable weekend option.ASSESSMENT: This shift is partially accurate. While delivery remains popular, rising fees and economic pressures have pushed some consumers toward more cost-effective takeout or drive-thru. However, the predicted breakfast boom has been more moderate than expected, with weekday lunch and dinner still commanding attention. Brunch has seen growth in urban areas and among younger consumers, but it hasn’t fully replaced dinner as a weekend staple.
3. Impact of Extreme Weather
PREDICTION: Increased extreme weather, exacerbated by El Niño, would challenge foodservice operations, requiring more weather-conscious planning and adaptations, including kitchen reconfigurations and climate-appropriate menus.
ASSESSMENT: Extreme weather has significantly affected foodservice in 2024. Heatwaves and storms across the US have disrupted operations, validating the need for flexible business models and adaptive kitchens. Operators have increasingly focused on climate-proofing their businesses with energy-efficient upgrades and modified menus to cope with these environmental challenges. The impact on the supply chain, however, has been less disruptive than anticipated, thanks to improved sourcing strategies.
PREDICTION: Menus would become increasingly detailed, with ingredient specificity (e.g., Granny Smith apples instead of generic apples) and regional origins being emphasized.
ASSESSMENT: This trend has been accurate, especially in high-end and niche restaurants, where consumers are gravitating toward premium experiences and transparency. Ingredient-specific listings have gained traction, aligning with consumer desires for quality and authenticity. This attention to detail has also been seen in cocktails and specialty items.
5. Off-the-Wall, TikTok-Inspired Dishes
PREDICTION: Following the “pickle palooza” of 2023, more unusual, attention-grabbing food items, driven by TikTok trends, would take center stage, featuring bizarre flavor combinations, unconventional ingredients, and even fruit skins or blood.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction is largely accurate. TikTok and other social media platforms have continued to influence menu items, with quirky and bold offerings generating buzz and driving consumer curiosity. However, the extremity of the trend—such as the use of blood and fruit skins—has remained more niche, appearing primarily in avant-garde and experimental dining spaces.
6. Technology in Restaurants
PREDICTION: Practical restaurant technology would become more ingrained, with AI assisting in predictive tasks like staffing and supply chain management, and kitchen automation focusing on safety and efficiency.
ASSESSMENT: The adoption of restaurant technology has indeed continued in 2024, especially in areas like online ordering systems integrated with kitchens and the increased use of AI in customer service (e.g., chatbots). AI-driven supply chain and labor management have also gained ground, helping operators navigate ongoing staff shortages and cost challenges. Automation in kitchens has advanced, but its adoption remains uneven, with larger chains leading the way while smaller operators struggle with upfront costs.
7. 2024: The Year of the Tomato
PREDICTION: Tomatoes would become the ingredient of the year, featuring in unexpected applications like desserts and adult beverages, as well as gaining attention through global preparations.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has largely played out. Tomatoes have featured prominently in global dishes, sauces, and even in innovative beverages. Creative uses of tomatoes, such as in jams or as meat substitutes, have attracted attention in the plant-based food scene. While they have not dominated menus across the board, they are a consistent theme in many 2024 culinary innovations.
Conclusion
The predictions made in December 2023 about foodservice trends in 2024 were generally accurate, especially in terms of technology adoption, weather-related adaptations, and consumer behavior shifts toward more cost-effective dining options. Some predictions, like the extreme impact of brunch or the use of more eccentric ingredients, were less universal but still reflective of broader trends in certain segments of the market. Overall, the industry’s resilience and adaptability have aligned well with these forecasts, despite ongoing economic and environmental challenges.
SUSTAINABILITY
How Consumers, Food Processors Approach Sustainability
Two industry experts discuss sustainable demand and industry strategies in 2024
PREDICTION: There would be a continued emphasis on sustainability-marketed consumer packaged goods (CPG), with attributes such as "Non-GMO," "Sustainability Certified," and "Organic" seeing growth.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction appears to be accurate, as data from Circana shows that these attributes have indeed continued to grow in dollar share and penetration in the market. Additionally, the increasing consumer awareness of climate-related events suggests that sustainability concerns remain high, supporting the predicted trend.
Check out more Sustainability Trends 2024 predictions and assessments.
FLAVOR TRENDS
New Tastes, Trends for 2024
Specialty Food Association Trendspotters set their sights on a diverse list of trends for the $194 billion specialty food industry
1. Beverage Innovation: Functional, Single-Serve, and Low-Sugar
PREDICTION: Beverage sales would boom with innovations like single-serve non-alcoholic fizzy drinks, coffees, teas, and broths featuring functional ingredients for energy, clarity, or calming effects, with minimal added sugar, salt, or synthetics.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has proven accurate. In 2024, functional beverages are a major trend, especially in the health and wellness sector. Drinks that offer added benefits, such as adaptogens, nootropics, or collagen, have been well-received. Non-alcoholic beverages and low-sugar options continue to grow in popularity, especially with younger consumers who are mindful of health and wellness. Global flavors, including tropical ingredients and herbal infusions, are also making a noticeable impact in the beverage space.
Check out more Flavor Trends 2024 predictions and assessments. Available Oct. 17, 2024.
BEVERAGE CONSUMER TRENDS
Predictions for a Thrifty, Sustainable, Health-Driven Future
Imbibe suggests that cost-saving innovations, sustainability initiatives, effective products, and women's health will dominate in 2024
1. Cost Savings, Little Luxuries
PREDICTION: Due to economic uncertainty, consumers would seek budget-friendly dining options that maintain a sense of quality and luxury, with many switching to lower-priced establishments or reducing nonessential grocery spending.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has proven accurate. Inflation and economic challenges in 2024 have led to increased price sensitivity among consumers, with many opting for lower-cost options while still desiring quality and indulgence. The rise of budget-friendly meal kits, gourmet experiences, and subscription services aimed at providing little luxuries on a budget have also been evident. Consumers continue to navigate trade-offs, such as splurging on certain items while cutting back in other areas, aligning with the prediction.
Check out more Beverage Consumer Trends 2024 predictions and assessments. Available Oct. 18, 2024.
GLOBAL FOOD & BEVERAGE TRENDS
Top Global Food and Drink Trends for 2024
Mintel announces key trends to shape global food and drink industries in the near future
1. Trust the Process: Greater Transparency and Minimally Processed Foods
PREDICTION: Mintel anticipated that consumers would demand more transparency regarding food processing, leading to a greater emphasis on minimally processed products. They expected brands to focus on how processing techniques could enhance nutrition, sustainability, and food safety. This would give rise to products highlighting positive aspects of processing, especially those involving upcycled ingredients.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has largely come to fruition. In 2024, there has indeed been heightened scrutiny of ultra-processed foods, driven by health concerns and increased public awareness of the negative effects of highly processed items. Consumers are gravitating toward minimally processed products, particularly those that showcase sustainable practices and enhanced nutrition, aligning with growing environmental and health-conscious trends. For example, brands have been increasingly transparent about the benefits of processes like fermentation, cold-pressing, and pasteurization, which maintain product quality while offering health benefits.
Additionally, upcycled foods—those made from ingredients that would otherwise go to waste—have gained significant momentum in 2024, as both consumers and brands seek sustainable, eco-friendly options. This trend speaks to the increased demand for products that minimize waste and maximize nutrition, making Mintel’s prediction highly accurate.
Check out more Global Food & Beverage Trends 2024 predictions and assessments. Available Oct. 21, 2024.
FOOD & BEVERAGE CONSUMER TRENDS
Top 10 Food & Beverage Consumer Trends in 2024
Innova Market Insights finds consumers interested in key benefits, ingredients, transparency
1. Taking the Spotlight
PREDICTION: Innova predicted that certain ingredients or product features—such as trending flavors, textures, and health benefits—would take center stage on packaging and attract consumer attention. Ingredients like protein and mushrooms were forecasted to be particularly important.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has proven accurate. Consumers continue to respond positively to packaging that highlights key ingredients, particularly when they align with health and wellness. The rise of functional ingredients like protein remains a major trend, with products showcasing high-protein claims continuing to proliferate. Additionally, mushrooms are seeing increased use in functional foods and plant-based products due to their nutritional value and adaptogenic properties.
Check out more Global Food & Beverage Trends 2024 predictions and assessments. Available Oct. 22, 2024.
HEALTH & WELLNESS TRENDS
2024 Health and Wellness Trends
Probiotics and fermented foods have been rising in popularity as immune boosters
Functional Foods and Flavors
PREDICTION: Consumers will seek out functional foods that offer more than just nutrition. Foods that deliver health benefits—such as boosting immunity and digestive health—while providing flavor and excitement will grow in popularity.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has proven accurate. Consumers are increasingly drawn to functional foods that address specific health concerns, such as gut health, immune support, and cognitive benefits. Products incorporating ingredients like prebiotics, probiotics, and bioactive compounds are flourishing, reflecting the consumer demand for foods that offer both wellness and indulgence.
Check out more Health & Wellness Trends 2024 predictions and assessments. Available Oct. 23, 2024.
GEN Z TRENDS
Diet Culture Goes Multicultural to Appeal to Gen Z
Younger generations are starting to turn towards diets at record rates
Growth in Categories that Blend Plant-Forward, Nutritious Foods with Authentic International Flavors
PREDICTION: We anticipated that Gen Z’s growing interest in plant-forward diets, combined with their craving for bold and authentic international flavors, would fuel growth in food categories that successfully blend the two. Brands that offer international flavors, such as Japanese, Mexican, and Chinese cuisine, alongside nutritious, whole-plant ingredients would see success in 2024.
ASSESSMENT: This prediction has proven largely accurate. In 2024, plant-based options infused with international flavors are rising in popularity. Gen Z has driven demand for flavorful and healthy products such as lentils, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas featured in Mediterranean, Latin American, and Asian-inspired dishes. Brands that offer global flavors, such as miso-glazed tofu or chickpea curry bowls, are thriving. Products like these satisfy Gen Z’s dual preference for clean-label, plant-based foods and international cuisine, and have become mainstays in many foodservice and retail outlets.
Check out more Gen Z Trends 2024 predictions and assessments. Available Oct. 24, 2024.
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