Airport Experience® News - Pre-Conference Issue 2025

and indulgence and explore less obvious versions of health, through things like functional ingredients.” Small of Synergy Restaurant Consultants sees a lot of potential with functional beverages. “Drinks infused with adaptogens, CBD or nootropics, like ashwagandha and lion’s mane, are appealing to health conscious consumers as an alternative to alcohol. And functional mushrooms in general are trending as additives or an alternative to coffee,” he says. “There are a lot of wellness-conscious consumers of all ages that are driving the interest in these healthy beverages that boost energy levels, lower stress, and even improve digestive health and sharpen mental cognition. When you look at the juice bars that have popped up around the country you see they’re getting more into vitamin-rich supplements, from ginseng to ginkgo biloba to vitamin C, that improve immunity and well being.” He also notes that probiotic beverages that improve digestive and gut health, such as kombucha, are increasingly popular. Badaracco of Culinary Tides points out that today’s consumers have plenty on their minds when it comes to health and wellness. “There’s cognitive function, which encompasses stress, sleep, anxiety and depression due to inflation, global conflict, and other stressors, and their field of vision now includes obesity, digestion, performance and aging concerns,” she says. “The interaction of food and function allows consumers to feel in control of their health.

Health Considerations When Menu Matters asked consumers what their goals are for 2025, being healthier was the top answer, Kostyo notes, and, indeed, health concerns and specific dietary preferences will continue to factor into food and beverage trends in 2025. “There’s a lot of fragmentation in the health space, though,” Kostyo adds. “When we asked consumers about a range of foods and whether they considered them unhealthy, they chose ‘ultraprocessed’ foods as the single most unhealthy option, so there are certainly many consumers who are looking for those more clean-label options. Yet you also have a lot of younger consumers who love crazy candies and snack foods that are clearly processed. Restaurant operators need to know their audience to determine the best health and dietary options they should showcase.” Colleen Von Hoene, associate principal at Paslay Group , expects to see continued growth and variety of healthier choices on menus, including options for vegetarian, vegan, low-sugar and gluten-free diets. “We see more restaurants with menu choices that meet dietary requirements, and clear identification of those options on their websites and menus,” she says. “In addition, the market for non-alcoholic beverage options continues to grow with mocktails, non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ and high quality non-alcoholic beer, such as those from Athletic Brewing Company.” Technomic’s Belflower also sees demand growing for low- and no-alcohol options on menus as the “sober-curious” lifestyle continues to pick up steam. “This is indicative of a larger trend we’re calling ‘stealth health’ – these are healthy items and ingredients that maybe aren’t as obvious as those more traditional healthy options, or items that have those elements of both wellness and indulgence,” she explains. “This has become even more relevant in recent years as ideas about health and wellness have really evolved overall. Restaurant operators will need to work to strike that balance between health Left: Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, Inc., notes that fusions will be on trend in 2025, including the combination of different flavors, such as “swicy” (sweet and spicy), “swoky” (sweet and smoky) and “swalty” (sweet and salty), as well as the fusion of different global flavors and cuisines.

Above: Jay Bandy, president of Goliath Consulting Group, expects fast-casual brands like Cava and Chipotle to continue doing well in 2025, while casual dining brands are more likely to have a difficult year. Meanwhile, he predicts QSRs will see moderate sales increases and fine dining venues that focus “holistically on the experience” will hang on.

Belflower believes that the next natural progression of global flavors becoming more and more prevalent on menus is a focus on specific regional flavors and dishes. “Expect new takes on regional classics, including plant-based burnt ends and collard greens dip or gourmet versions of regional favorites, such as elevated spoonbread, frybread and boiled peanuts,” she says. Jay Bandy, president of Goliath Consulting Group , also notes this trend. “Very specific cuisines are emerging, like Roman cuisine – I was just at Mother Wolf in Las Vegas, where that is the focus,” he says. “And I think Mexican cuisine will continue to become more regional, focusing on Oaxaca and Baja to name a couple.”

Above: Colleen Von Hoene, associate principal at Paslay Group, expects to see continued growth and variety of healthier choices on menus, and more operators clearly identifying which items on their menus meet certain dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, vegan, low-sugar and gluten-free options.

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AX NEWS FEBRUARY 2025