What’s heating up your menus this summer? Many are taking advantage of consumers’ expectations of seasonal flavors and limited-time offers (LTOs) from restaurants. A Datassential survey in March 2024, found that 53% of consumers associate summer with unique dishes and beverages, presenting a great opportunity to try some of the latest summer food trends.
While many consumers still prefer to enjoy food and beverages at home on the Fourth of July holiday, younger demographics are leaning toward the idea of going to a restaurant for limited-edition summer foods or specials. Memorial Day and Father’s Day come in a close second and third for this trend.[1]
Gen Z and Millennials are moving the needle on other summer holidays including Juneteenth, Pride Month, and Eid Al-Adha indicating they are widely celebrating these holidays, making room for specialty menu items that celebrate too.[2]
However, nothing currently beats the Fourth of July for meeting customer’s expectations of special flavors, dishes, beverages, or limited-time menu releases from restaurants than Independence Day. 39% of survey respondents stated that Independence Day was when they most anticipated these items, followed by Memorial Day with 18%.[3]
Holidays aside, summer is the best time to offer LTOs and restaurant specials. 59% of respondents are interested in making these purchases during the summer. [4] When planning a summer vacation, 32% of consumers choose their destination based on food offerings in the area (when traveling within the US).[5]
Flavors that are coming in hot for the summer 2024 season include:
Savory: Pollo Asado, Snow Crab, Chopped Salad, Elote, Prosciutto, Smoked Gouda, BBQ Rib, Peach and Artichoke
Sweet: Orgeat, Cookie and Cream, Raspberry Lemonade, Mojito, Guava, Maple Syrup, Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Iced Tea, Slushie, Gelato, Nutmeg, Green Tea, and Peach.[6]
Peaches showed up widely in 2023 and are expected to continue to trend highly throughout summer 2024. You’ll find them combined with herbs and veggies on flatbread or baked into French toast. Peach smoothies, iced tea, lemonade, and even iced coffee beverages delight consumers.
Corn became more than a simple side dish in 2023 and has continued to grow in popularity in 2024. Elote is among the corn-inspired trends showing up in many formats from a side dish to a taco filling or bruschetta topping. According to Tastewise, social media conversations about Mexican Street Corn (elote) have increased by 13.93% during the past year. Following the trend of meal-inspired cocktails, elote margaritas have begun appearing on menus as well. As we move into prime sweet corn season, consider how corn might factor into a menu special or LTO.
Lemonade will continue to trend high among consumers as it creates a base to which many local, popular, and trending flavors may be mixed. Chains like Starbucks and Dutch Bros have jumped on this trend as a refreshing, cold summer alternative to coffee drinks. In Oregon, lemonade is mixed with marionberries, a type of blackberry that is local to Oregon. Lemonade simply says “summer.”
What’s summer without BBQ? Boring. Restaurants around the country are spicing up their summer menu offerings with BBQ. Serving burgers with pork burnt ends or topping French fries with barbequed pulled pork are great opportunities to add some barbeque to your existing menu items. Serve your chicken quesadillas with a spicy barbeque sauce or add barbeque rub to your favorite grilled fruits to enhance the sweet-smoky, barbeque appeal.
Knowing that summer holidays pique consumer’s expectations for something special, let your creativity explode like a firework on the Fourth of July and consider incorporating some of these food trends into your current menus as specials and LTOs. Your Avendra account representative can help you source just what you need to be on trend this summer.
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