A select few restaurants are holding their ground in a strained consumer economy, as diners cut weekday visits but still spend on celebrations and experience-driven meals. Restaurants like Fogo de Chão are leaning into occasion-based dining to keep traffic steady, even as sentiment weakens.
Get an inside look at the trends shaping foodservice and CPG at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show, from emerging beverage concepts to the strategies top brands are using to stay ahead of shifting consumer demand.
Retailers are missing a major at home dining opportunity as Circana data shows dinner occasions with guests drive far higher spending than current strategies capture. New occasion-based insights reveal where retailers and CPGs can unlock meaningful growth by aligning merchandising, promotions and product development with how people actually eat at home.
Though voice AI systems improve drive-thru speed and accuracy, many diners still find the experience unsettling. A concept called the ‘uncanny valley’ could offer insight into why diners say they’d rather have a human take their order – even if AI is more likely to get it right.
BMO’s 2026 Global Farm to Market conference spotlighted rising fertilizer costs, protein-rich food demand, GLP-1 eating trends, and gene-edited crop innovation as food and agriculture companies navigate inflation, energy volatility, and shifting consumer expectations.
Get an inside look at the trends shaping foodservice and CPG at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show, from emerging beverage concepts to the strategies top brands are using to stay ahead of shifting consumer demand.
It seems one set of tariffs is declared unconstitutional and then another set get installed in the current day, but what’s really happening with tariffs? Sara Albrecht, Chairman of the Liberty Justice Center and founder of Swan Capital, talks about their recent Supreme Court win, how refunds might play out, and what to keep an eye on in the year to come.
In this week’s food industry news in 2 minutes, FI’s Fast Break podcast touches on Starbucks’ corporate layoffs, the latest in functional snacks, and more trending F&B news.
Mathieu Brisson of Prestige Maple Products shares how maple sugar and maple syrup are having a moment, recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on the surprising optimism of small business owners these days.
Julie Chapon shares the origin story of Yuka, which began as a personal mission to decode confusing food labels.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast discusses a new survey that reveals many consumers are completely fed up with America’s tipping practices.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast discusses a new report revealing that 31% of diners are visiting restaurant chains less often due to rising prices.
Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe lays out the restaurant labor market, and challenges operators to view it not as a cost but as a strategic investment.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on breakfast products’ ongoing move beyond the morning daypart, as brands are reformulating products for portability amid demand for all-day breakfast.
