Receiving a FABI Award places recipients in the spotlight at the industry’s premier event—the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, May 17-20, 2025, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Attendees will experience these standout products firsthand, positioning awardees in front of thousands of industry leaders and decision-makers eager to discover the next big trend.

In a few weeks, we will begin publishing predictions for 2025. Prior to sharing our outlook for the year ahead, we wanted to review the predictions we made for 2024 to determine what we got right and what might not have fully taken shape.

Prepared Foods gets the inside scoop on new product development from Stacey Kinkaid, US Foods vice president of product development & innovation.

The Future Menus North America Trends 2024 report identifies top menu trends predicted to influence the restaurant industry in the coming years.

Generation Z, known for their substantial spending on dining out and for regularly making dining choices based on social media content2, are influencing dining experiences around the world. The report highlights a demand from this generation for 'flavor Shock', characterized by unexpected flavor combinations and twists on classic dishes such as incorporating Mexican sauces to create modern pastas.

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) released its final 2023 estimates and its latest 2024 Food Away-From-Home (FAFH) Industry and Segment Projections.

Technomic released its Beverage Global Menu Category Report, which explores foodservice category sizing by country, outlook and expectations, consumer patronage and preferences, menu trends, global and local chains, and brands to watch.

Next year promises to bring challenges, with high prices and sagging consumer confidence impacting consumer behavior. Foodservice stakeholders once again need to tap into their reserves of creativity to thrive.

The line between restaurant menus and home cooking is blurring, thanks to social media like TikTok where restaurant dishes become viral sensations and in the right culinary hands popular social "food fads" are translating to menus and limited time offers. 

The findings display valuable insights into dining preferences, favorite restaurant types, ordering habits, tipping practices, and what this means for foodservice operators across the country.