Airport Experience® News - Pre-Conference Issue 2025

India and the Middle East but now appears in Latin, Caribbean and Mexican cuisine and in jam for burgers and in milkshakes.” Cuisine-wise, Korean continues to dominate, according to Small. “Korean fried chicken, gochujang sauces and kimchi-infused dishes are gaining traction,” he says. “Beyond Korean, cuisines like Filipino, Malaysian and Hawaiian are growing in popularity, with ingredients like calamansi, ube and furikake.” When Menu Matters looked at menus from more than 100 innovative restaurants across the country in search of common themes, the most prevalent was what Kostyo calls “the evolution of popular cuisines.” “Next-level Mexican flavors are everywhere—we’ve gone from Taj í n and birria to finding nopales on so many menus, pepitas as a go-to crunchy topper at so many venues, and options like achiote, requeson cheese, epazote, atole and tlayudas are keeping things interesting,” Kostyo says. “Flavors are getting more complex, with less of a focus on the super-hot peppers like ghost peppers and more interest in options like Jimmy Nardellos and morita chiles. Asian-inspired options are also evolving, with flavors and dishes like Japanese and Korean sweet potatoes, curry in beverages, calamansi, pani puri and betel leaves appearing on menus.”

Above: Katie Belflower, manager of menu research and insights at Technomic, expects to see spicy flavors, including spicy global sauces and condiments, become even more common on menus this year as well as unique and interesting takes on specific regional dishes.

Above: Mike Kostyo, vice president of Menu Matters, notes that in 2025 consumers are going to be looking for new trends and ideas on menus and that operators will need to innovate to keep them interested and give them a reason to dine out.

Each year Menu Matters develops a “consumer need state” for the coming year based on internal research and survey data. “Our overall consumer need state for 2025 is, ‘Give me something new.’ Last year it was, ‘Take care of the consumer,’ because consumers kept telling us they were anxious and tired, yet they weren’t seeing the hospitality from the food industry that they wanted. This year when we asked consumers how they are feeling as we head into 2025, more consumers said they were ‘hopeful’ than any other emotion. But that means they are looking for things to look forward to.” Kostyo adds that nearly 90 percent of consumers surveyed by Menu Matters said they want to see new trends and ideas on menus in 2025. “The industry really needs to focus on innovation to excite consumers and give them a reason to go to restaurants,” he says. Indeed, whether with unexpected and interesting flavor combinations or experiential elements, keeping consumers engaged and interested will be the key to success in 2025 and beyond. Bold Flavors, Global Influence Katie Belflower, manager of menu research and insights at Technomic , expects to see spicy flavors become even more common on menus – and in new and interesting ways. “We’ve seen ghost pepper become increasingly prevalent on

menus, and less common peppers such as Fresno, morita and goat horn peppers may follow that lead,” she says. “I also expect to see spicy global sauces and condiments increasingly appear on menus on the heels of options such as harissa, gochujang and sriracha. Potential growers include Middle Eastern shatta, which is a jalapeño-herb hot sauce, and Thai nam prik, which is a spicy sauce typically made with fresh or dry chilies, garlic, shallots, lime juice and often some kind of fish or shrimp paste.” Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, Inc. , notes that “complex heat” that combines different peppers will be on trend in 2025, as well as fusions of different flavors, including “swicy” (sweet and spicy), “swoky” (sweet and smoky) and “swalty” (sweet and salty). Dean Small, managing partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants , also calls attention to spicy and sweet combinations. “Hot honey, gochujang caramel and spicy tamarind are becoming flavor profiles that excite consumers,” he says, adding that global street food-inspired fusion items are also trending up. “Items like birria taco ravioli and Japanese onigiri with non-traditional fillings are becoming mainstream as consumers seek new and flavorful options.” Echoing this, Badaracco points to trending fusion items like tikka masala hot wings and sashimi tostadas. “Also, single global flavors are moving across borders, like with tamarind, which comes from Africa,

Above: Dean Small, managing partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants, foresees the continued growth of functional beverages, including drinks infused with adaptogens, CBD, nootropics, or vitamin-rich supplements, and probiotic beverages like kombucha.

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AX NEWS FEBRUARY 2025