Consumer interest in flavor exploration continues to rise with nearly half of diners now prioritizing trying new flavors most or all of the time when eating out. However, economic factors like rising food prices and inflation are driving heightened price sensitivity, influencing dining behaviors and decisions.
Adventurous younger generations, like Millennials and Gen Z, continue to lead the charge in flavor discovery, particularly through desserts, global cuisines and innovative beverages. Leveraging flavor diversity can deepen consumer connections. Initiatives like offering globally inspired condiments and transparent ingredient sourcing (seasonal and natural elements) not only enhance the dining experience but also encourage higher spend by flavor-seekers.
For operators, success in flavor innovation requires balancing creativity with cost accessibility. Options like small plates or customizable dishes can appeal to a broad audience, from rural diners curious about unique flavors to urbanites craving culinary experimentation. By aligning innovation with consumer-centered strategies, industry players can succeed amid evolving dining trends.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Flavor trial behaviors and attitudes
- New flavor trial by menu item
- Experience with and interest in flavors and ingredients on the menu
- Flavor and the dining experience
- Menu innovation: what’s now, near and next
Flavor remains integral to the value of dining out, especially as consumers consider discretionary spending. Making trial accessible, fun and satisfying are all key.
Sydney Riebe, Analyst – US Food and Drink
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following restaurant definitions:
- Quick-service restaurants: Used interchangeably with “fast food,” QSRs specialize in inexpensive, convenient meals with no waiter service, no alcoholic beverages and a low price point. Examples include McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Pizza Hut.
- Fast casual restaurants: These establishments are characterized by a higher price point than QSRs, though not as high as full-service restaurants. Fast casuals do not offer waiter service and may or may not serve alcohol. Examples include: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, Shake Shack and Blaze Pizza.
- Limited-service restaurants: LSRs provide food services, and customers usually select and order items and pay before dining. Food/drink may be consumed on the premises, offered as carryout or delivered to the customer’s location. These may also sell alcoholic beverages. LSRs include both QSRs and fast casual restaurants. The other category within LSRs includes snacks and non-alcoholic beverage bars, cafeterias, grills and grill buffets.
- Full-service restaurants: FSRs have waiter/waitress service, and customers order and are served while seated. FSRs may also sell alcoholic beverages and offer carryout services. They include the restaurant segments family midscale, casual dining and fine dining.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Cost of essentials remains elevated for consumers
- Graph 1: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-25
- Plunging consumer sentiment threatens foodservice spending
- Graph 2: consumer sentiment index, 2022-25
- Market drivers
- New trial frequency increases YOY
- Graph 3: frequency of food behaviors, new food/flavor trial, 2023-24
- The majority of consumers shifted their dining out spend in 2024
- Graph 4: change in spending over past 12 months, food in restaurants, 2024
- Restaurants brace for impact of tariffs
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Flavor trial behaviors
- Help consumers feel comfortable with flavor trial and retrial
- Graph 5: flavor trial behaviors, 2025
- Gen Zs have their eyes on flavors online
- Graph 6: flavor trial behaviors, by generation, 2025
- Hispanic consumers self-identify most strongly as flavor hobbyists
- Graph 7: flavor trial behaviors, by race/ethnicity, 2025
- New flavor trial by menu item
- Room for flavor innovation across all dish types
- Graph 8: new flavor trial, by menu item, 2025
- Overlap menu items that make sense together
- Help older consumers commit to the main dish
- Graph 9: new flavor trial, by menu item, by generation, 2025
- Value is in the novelty of dining out for rural consumers
- Graph 10: new flavor trial by menu item, by area, 2025
- Experience with and interest in flavors and ingredients on the menu
- Education remains the bridge between interest and trial
- Graph 11: experience with and interest in flavors and ingredients on the menu, 2025
- Interest in emerging flavors and ingredients continues to be driven by Millennials
- Graph 12: experience with and interest in flavors and ingredients on the menu, any interest – “I have tried this and liked it” OR “I haven’t tried this, but I would like to try it,” by generation, 2025
- Fruity and nutty flavors win the popular vote…
- Graph 13: experience with and interest in flavors and ingredients on the menu, 2025
- Creativity can renew younger consumers’ interest in established ingredients
- Graph 14: positive trial of flavors and ingredients on the menu – “I have tried this and liked it,” by generation, 2025
- Flavor and the dining experience
- Memorable experiences lean on flavor…
- Graph 15: flavor and the dining experience, 2025
- Across generations, flavor remains central to the dining experience
- Graph 16: flavor and the dining experience, by generation, 2025
- Urban consumers crave menu innovation
- Graph 17: flavor and the dining experience, by area, 2025
- Flavor trial attitudes
- A little extra can go a long way on menus
- Graph 18: flavor trial attitudes, 2025
- Feed younger consumers’ flavor trial momentum
- Graph 19: flavor trial attitudes, by generation, 2025
- The dining experience can be tailored by gender
- Graph 20: flavor trial attitudes, by gender, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Menu innovation: what’s now
- Sweet and spicy – an unbeatable combination
- Everyone is nuts about pistachio
- Fast-casual brings Mediterranean flavors to the forefront
- Menu innovation: what’s near
- Mexican flavors make for a colorful dining experience
- Umami-based flavors add craveability to vegetarian dishes
- Cocktail menus are perfect for playing with flavors
- Menu innovation: what’s next
- A twist on the familiar can drive unique dining experiences
- Global condiments offer heat and complexity
- Marketing and advertising
- Mike’s Hot Honey collaborations have restaurants in agreement that “you’ll love it with Mike’s”
- Spin-off concepts offer deliver on novelty
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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