Here’s an interesting fact. My children will never know what it was like to go out to a sit-down restaurant and get served bread (let alone water) for free. They have grown up in a world where avocado toast rules, cottage cheese is new and novel, beverages can be customized 100x over, and food, of every shape, form and price point can be delivered on demand.
It’s no secret that the foodservice industry has gone through profound changes over the last few years. After a historic return from COVID closures, the restaurant industry celebrated a real renaissance with consumers clamoring back for the sheer experience, thrill and theater of it all. Yet here we find ourselves again, at the end of 2025, with sales and traffic softening and labor, supply and equipment costs skyrocketing. And we are still coming to grips with changing dining habits, and a redefinition of what “value” means to guests today.
To combat this, or merely survive, every operator I know and work with—large or small, commercial or noncommercial—is shaking the couch cushions, looking under every rock for new revenue opportunities, and brainstorming creative ways to lure guests back.
Yet what I have always admired about the foodservice industry is coming alive again—restaurateurs’ fierce passion and grit, the need to “dig deep” is resulting in truly magical, exciting and delicious offerings that will continue to shape the dining scene of tomorrow.
Here are nine of those trends to watch in 2026.
Breads Take Flight: My children may not know the difference, but who among us thought we’d all be gladly paying for a bread course with our meal in 2025? To prove its value, operators got smart at elevating the experience and showcasing their often exquisite baking skills.
I loved the wood-fired bread and mezze offerings at Wayward Fare in Brooklyn, N.Y., featuring gorgeous homemade rolls, paired with seasonal selection of dips including roasted eggplant, lentil hummus, sheep’s milk ricotta, pickles, broullaide (gently scrambled eggs, spicy sofrito), whipped cured lardo or chicken pate. At one of my absolute favorites in San Francisco, Delfina offers their Pane a Pala with a house made (simply to die for) whipped ricotta and dried tomatoes.
Whip it Good: Cottage cheese is having a moment, but this blast from the past iconic diet dish is inspiring a whole new cadre of whipped cheese delights. At SRG, riding the trend toward healthier menus, we created a hip new cottage cheese bowl with roasted tomatoes, herbed cucumbers, avocado, crispy prosciutto, arugula served with rustic bread points for our friends over at Snooze, a regional breakfast, brunch and lunch concept based here in Denver.
And we are seeing the “whipped effect” happening across the board with a variety of cheeses like ricotta, mascarpone, feta paired with unique trendy ingredients and seasonings blended in like honey, avocado and beans.
Turning Japanese: Americans could not seem to get enough matcha in 2025. And Japanese desserts and pastries maybe the next thing to hit restaurant and coffee shop menus. Those lightly sweetened cakes, pastries and breads are capturing the attention of mainstream restaurant operators here in the States and certainly have spread like fire on social.
We’re also seeing an influx of flavorful Japanese curries and traditional ingredients like koji that has worked its way into fermentation repertoires in some of the best kitchens.
Happy Hour All-Day: No longer reserved for late afternoon/early evening time slot, more restaurants are offering all-day happy hours to lure diners on those typical slower Monday-Wednesday days. Jax, an exceptional seafood concept in Boulder, Colo., has the typical, daily happy hour from 3:30-5:00 p.m. but extended it with all-night happy hour on Monday. Cutie’s, which just opened in Portland, Maine, bills itself as an “all-day” bar, with a vibe that evolves from cool café in the morning to flirty, energetic vibe in the evening with late night craveable drinks and fare.
Beverages Turn Up the Heat: My SRG colleague Christie Wood studies beverage trends all day long. We see no slowdown in the low- and no-alcohol movement as 40% of US consumers report closely or occasionally following a sober-curious lifestyle. Spicy margaritas have taken over menus and we expect beverage pros to turn the heat up again in 2026 with flavor systems that celebrate peppery, savory, smoky, salty and sour notes resulting in a truly complex tasting experience.
And wait for it … shots are back and we plan to see some new plays in 2026. We love the playful Italian Carpool flight of shots at Bad Roman, New York City, which offer a Ferrari (with Fernet and Campari), Maserati (with Mezcal Vida and Ramazzotti), Fiat (with Jameson and Moretti) and Lamborghini (with Lambrusco and Midori), a quick, satisfying indulgence that adds to the bar tab.
The Ozempic Affect: A trend to “watch” in 2025 will evolve into a trend to address in 2026. We expect to see more restaurants promoting shareable appetizers and inventive sides that can turned into a full meal, offering half-portion sizes, and a nod back to the value conversation, doggie bags will be back in vogue.
Postino, a wine café with roots in Colorado offers a medley of creative charcuterie boards, starters, sides and sandwiches to share along with daily wine specials as low as $6.00 a glass.
Chef’s Playful Winks: We love a well-curated menu especially when a chef has the inspiration and confidence to throw a wild card in there. In Singapore this past year, I ate at Cenzo, an Australian themed restaurant and bar with an inspiring and “refined” Italian menu. The twist was Chef Drew Nocente’s Pastrami Sandwich ($26 US) listed under the Antipasti heading, this was a “c’mon you had to order it no matter what item,” especially when you saw this showstopper of a sandwich coming across the dining room with pastrami piled high on a house made, griddled and buttered rye bread.
Shifting Dayparts = Adaptable Restaurant Design: Remote work, flexible routines, and the rise of “snackification” (snacks either replace or bridge meals) are not only driving operators to rethink both menus, but also environments.
Jeremy Kay, SRG’s head of Environmental Design, notes that fast-fine and QSR concepts are shifting from fixed dining to modular seating and adaptable zones that can flex between solo snacking, casual meetups, or evening social occasions. Lighting and soundscapes are being programmed to shift throughout the day, while countertop and lounge-style seating replace formal dining areas to make short visits feel natural. The result is a more dynamic, all-day environment built for spontaneity rather than scheduled meals.
Tech Play: Artificial Intelligence: Expect expansion of voice-enabled ordering systems at drive-throughs nationwide that greet guests, take orders, and suggest personalized add-on menu items in real time. These systems can detect the weather, time of day, and past orders to make relevant recommendations, all designed to lift check averages.
Look for new Digital menu boards that update dynamically, highlighting menu items that align with guest behavior or kitchen capacity, reducing waiting times and improving order accuracy.
