Coffee Omakase, Flights Capture Consumer Interest
A recent Trend Tracker report from Yelp found that “coffee omakase” enjoyed a shocking 5,173% rise in searches between Sept. ’23-’24. What’s behind this surge in interest?
Tag: starbucks
America’s Coffee Wars Escalate as Small Towns Serve as Battleground
The U.S. has seen a surge in coffee shops in small towns. The growth is fueled largely by iced, sugary drinks popular among Gen Z and millennials, which are driving the industry toward more drive-thrus and social media-friendly options.
News Roundup (November 1, 2024): Who’s Been Eating 80,000 Uncrustables?
FI Fast Break audio news: Oct. 30, 2024
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on the newest beers that are marketed to young adults.
FI Fast Break audio news: Oct. 23, 2024
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on the soaring price of cocoa ahead of Halloween.
News Roundup (October 18, 2024): Debt Struggles, Butter Price Surges, Teen Trends
Customization and Culture: How Starbucks Turns Pricey Coffee into Loyalty
Starbucks maintains customer loyalty despite higher prices by offering personalized options like mobile ordering and customization. While consumers are sensitive to price, experts feel Starbucks’ focus on convenience and atmosphere helps sustain its growth.
On-the-Go Brews Usher in New Era of Coffee Consumption
With National Coffee Day (Sept. 29) nearly upon us, specialty coffee maintains a 13-year high. As a result, brands continue to flock to the category for opportunities.
Pistachios: The Little Green Nut Surging in Popularity
Google trends analysis shows a 60% rise in searches for pistachios since 2019, putting product manufacturers, restaurateurs, and grocers in a unique position to leverage this explosive growth to their advantage.
Guest Column: Explaining CEOs’ Short Shelf Life in 2024
The pressure is on restaurant chain CEOs to deliver fast in 2024. Private equity is largely to blame, according to one industry leader.
FI News Review (August 16, 2024) – CEO Swap: What Does Starbucks’ New Leadership Mean For the Future
CEO of Chipotle Departs to Assume Leadership of Starbucks
Tuesday brought big business news, as Chipotle announced that its chairman and CEO, Brian Niccol, had accepted a similar post at Starbucks.
Analysis: Why Pumpkin Spice Szn has Started Earlier Than Ever
Pumpkin spice season is upon us earlier than ever in 2024. Data from SpotOn suggest the F&B industry’s also moving toward the most expansive pumpkin season yet.
Game the System: Gamification in Grocery & Retail
Gamification refers to the idea of point scoring and applying competitive techniques to encourage consumer engagement.
Chilling Out: Hot Sales for Cold Drinks
With summer solidly here, a recent trend in coffee may leave many caffeine junkies wondering what happened to a classic cup of joe.
Kombucha: An Ancient Elixir Finds Modern Appeal
The origins of kombucha are shrouded in legend, and the drink’s murky beginnings remained in relative obscurity—at least to western palates—until its rediscovery in the 20th century in something of a cultural phenomenon.
Gen Z Teens Reducing Spend, Supporting Smaller Brands
Among CPG energy drink brands, Celsius over-indexes with teens, with 17% citing it as their favorite energy drink brand (vs. ~12% market share) while Monster and Red Bull under-index. Among snack brands, Campbell’s Goldfish are still most preferred. Teens report highest intentions to eat more or the same amount of Mondelez’s Clif Bar and Hershey’s products.
Fast-Flation: Fast Food Restaurant Prices Surge, Even as Inflation Wanes
Major fast-food restaurants have raised prices by 60% on average between 2014 and 2024. McDonald’s is the worst offender with average menu prices increasing more than three times the national rate of inflation over the past decade.
IPOs and Inflection Points: Panera and Starbucks Brace for Change
They say when one door closes, another opens. That may very well be true, but for restaurant brands and their clientele, the wrong door can sometimes lead down a disastrous path – just look at …
Column: Loyalty Apps Becoming a Boon for Fast-Food Restaurants
One great benefit of loyalty programs is that they help businesses, like restaurant chains, build a relationship with a customer. To inspire consumers to join your program you can use price or other incentives.
Technomic: Expect Drive-Thrus, Breakfast Daypart to ‘Boom’ in 2024
America is overflowing with beverage restaurant concepts of late, especially those targeting the breakfast daypart. Utah-based Swig is growing rapidly. Dutch Bros Coffee, founded in Oregon, saw 27% sales growth in 2022. Kung Fu Tea, …
Preparing for Launch: CosMc’s and the Next Wave of Beverage Chains
In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.
‘Gen Z’s Most Magnetic Brands’ Report Praises McDonald’s, Starbucks
McDonald’s has nearly as much brand magnetism with Gen Z as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Ariana Grande. And in 2023, the purple-hued force of attraction that connected the burger giant with young consumers was …
Teens’ Top 5 Restaurant Chains
Teens are trendsetters. They are typically early to the next big thing and most of their spending is discretionary, making them a lucrative demographic to study.
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FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 8, 2023
The latest Fast Break Food Institute news podcast touches on the notable dip in grocery-store coffee sales of late.
American Restaurant Chains Thriving in India
While 40% of India’s residents are vegetarian, there’s still a large addressable market open to omnivore cuisine. Plus, much of the country is infatuated with western culture – a fact QSRs are taking note of.
Analysis: Why Web 3.0 Could Reshape the Food Industry
Web 3.0 could revolutionize business practices, including the food industry, but how does it differ from the versions that came before it?
FI Fast Break audio news: Sept. 20, 2023
The latest Food Institute news podcast touches on unfortunate news for a pair of alt-meat startups.
Rock the Block(chain): NFTs in Food and Beverage
The heck is an NFT? Their precursors in the ‘90s were called pogs – often cheap and of limited variety for the average consumer, easily tradable and without much long-term staying power. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) …
Recent Spate of Restaurant Closures Confounds Industry
Despite major restaurant chains enjoying increased spending from consumers, a spate of closures have hit smaller restaurants.
Trending Fall Flavors Beyond Pumpkin Spice
As the days get shorter and the sound of each crisp breeze rustling through the trees seems to whisper, “pumpkin spice,” it’s time to shine a light on the other fall flavors that consumers crave. …
Starbucks Has Big Plans for Smalltown America
Starbucks appears poised to overtake Subway as America’s most prolific QSR. Smalltown locations could be key in helping the coffee chain reach its goals.
What Target’s ‘Drive Up with Starbucks’ Signals For Curbside Pickup
While the mid-pandemic rush around curbside pickup has cooled off, the potential benefits for consumers and retailers alike are still shaping the grocery landscape. The number of shoppers opting in for the convenience of in-car …
Why McDonald’s is in the Midst of a McCafé Makeover
Though McDonald’s McCafé Bakery concept worked to an extent, it didn’t translate to more snack and coffee sales between mealtimes.
The Teens Have Spoken: Chick-fil-A Remains Favorite Restaurant
Three things remain constant in life: death, taxes, and Chick-fil-A. In Piper-Sandler’s recent survey of teen spending in the U.S., the Georgia-based restaurant chain still struts its stuff above Starbucks and Chipotle and accounts for …
FI Newscast (March 3, 2023) – Featuring Hunter Thurman, Alpha-Diver
Welcome to the FI Newscast! Each week, we note the latest industry trends and consumer insights, with guest appearances by the foremost industry experts. This week’s guest was Hunter Thurman, President of Alpha-Diver – one …