As the competition for dining out dollars continues to take shape in 2026, the industry itself is rethinking how full-service, quick-service and fast-casual, and alternate convenience channels fit together.
Erica Conte, brand director at The Food Group, presented FI with an insightful perspective.
“With all these segments stepping up, the competitive landscape has shifted from restaurant vs. restaurant to meal solution vs. meal solution, making innovation, experience, flavor, quality, and value more important than ever for restaurants to stand out,” she said.
Across the board, LTOs have been a traditional innovation lever to introduce unique partnerships, flavors, and experiences that delight modern conscious consumers.
Sheetz’s 2025 collaboration with Liquid Death exemplifies this strategy in alternative convenience channels, wherein consumers were able to purchase sandwiches that could be chainsaw-sliced with the purchase of a Liquid Death.
However, the tactic is more common in full- and limited-service channels.
When asked about how brands can eke out a competitive edge, Golden Waffles’ CEO Michael DiBeneditto noted that businesses across every channel must consider what will make a consumer choose them over a competitor.
“Fresh, made-to-order items are a big part of that answer, regardless of format,” he added.
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