Tracking Trends at the National Restaurant Show
If lines between retail channels are blurring, so are some of the lines between at-home and away-from-home dining. The lag time between trend spillover from foodservice to grocery has shortened, as consumers continue to cook at home and expand their culinary horizons and as retailers and restaurant operators are served by some of the same suppliers.
A walk through the National Restaurant Show, held May 17-20 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, confirmed the cross-over effect and revealed some food, beverage and lifestyle trends worth watching.
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Craft Beverages Are Crushing It
The pace of innovation in beverages remains rapid, as both major CPGs and startup brands showcased offerings across segments including sparkling water, soda, functional, craft, non-alcoholic and alcoholic. PepsiCo for instance, had a hit on its hands at this year’s show with samples of its DRIPS crafted beverage offering that mixes up the brand’s signature Pepsi, Mtn Dew and other drinks with various fruit syrups, creams, popping boba, berries and mother mix-ins. While DRIPS drinks have been served at pop-up tours of college campuses and at this year’s Super Bowl, leaders think that the strong response indicates a potential future at retail.
“The consumer is already looking for personalization and customization and there’s this flavor and color. We feel like we've got a great proof point and we are going to continue to bring it out and take it on tour to colleges and universities, stadiums, et cetera,” Scott Finlow, global CMO of PepsiCo Away from Home, told Progressive Grocer. “I think it will come to retail in some way, shape or form as a beverage experience. And eventually, it’s probably going to be packaged and become something you can find in a bottle or a can. Stay tuned.”
Other types of beverage fusions were evident across the event. During the show on May 19, The Coca-Cola Co. officially launched the limited-time Sprite + Tea, which blends the lemon-lime flavor of Sprite with the refreshing flavor of tea. “This was created based off TikTok trends – people customizing and making their own Sprite combinations including with tea,” Angie Burton, who works on Coca-Cola’s foodservice commercial strategy team, said during a tour of the busy Coca-Cola booth. She added that Sprite + Tea product will be available in both full-sugar and zero sugar varieties.
On that note, demand for zero sugar drinks isn’t slowing down. In addition to zero sugar offerings from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the venerable Jarritos brand is getting in on that type of product, sharing news at its booth that it will be debuting a zero sugar soda in the coming months, including a Mandarin variety.
Emerging brands were also touting their inventive sodas, sparkling waters and other beverages at this year’s show. At the Taste of the States pavilion organized by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), Yes Honey founder Heather Mincer poured samples of craft soda alternatives sweetened with 100% honey and available in flavors like Berry, Watermelon and Sweet Apple.
Plants Grow in Different Directions
Compared to the past few years, when plant-based alternatives to traditional proteins like meat and dairy were taking up a lot of floor space, this year’s National Restaurant Show was a showcase for plant products that stand on their own.
Mushrooms, for example, showed up in a wide range of products, from mushroom coffees to mushroom-meat blends. Beans, too, are having a moment, with healthy options like Better Beans Cuban Black Beans sold in a resealable package and featured on the Taste of the States area of the show. “Our beans are better because they come refrigerated, not canned. We are in grocery stores up and down the West Coast and East Coast and are also private label,” said Keith Kullberg, founder and president of Better Beans.
Protein Still Flexing
If consumers continue to order more protein on restaurant menus, they are also seeking high-protein foods for their home meals. Plenty of traditional proteins, including beef, pork, bacon and craft and processed meats, were spotlighted at the 2025 National Restaurant Show, along with other proteins that are expanding people’s palates.
Rabbit was one case in point, as a culinary pro at Natural State Rabbit cooked up a tasty dish. That Arkansas-based company offers a variety of portions for both retailers and foodservice operators. “The product we have at H-E-B is packaged in a box and portioned, pre-cut rabbit,” Lyn Robertson, director of sales told PG.
As a good source of protein and other nutrients, eggs also continue to penetrate restaurant menus and store shelves, especially as the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks have stabilized and prices are coming back down. “We are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel and are ramping back up conversations around innovation,” said Nate Hedtke, VP of innovation and customer engagement at the American Egg Board, adding that the group is also working to educate shoppers on distinctions in packaged egg products, such as cage-free, pasture-raised and other descriptors.
Interest in holistic foods with nutritional benefits, including and beyond protein-rich items, is expected to continue. “There is a blurring of dayparts that you see happening at home. It could be bringing in flavors of a Philadelphia steak sandwich to breakfast in an omelet or bringing a quiche with Mexican flavors for dinner,” said Hedtke.
Added his colleague, Nelson Serrano-Bahri, director of innovation at the American Egg Board: “We’re also seeing interest in egg beverages, both in ready to drink products and in powders. That continues to be a space that is ripe for innovation.”
As food suppliers, tech solution providers, equipment makers and other participants shared their latest product and services at the show, they seemed to be guided by overall market forces that continue to indicate ongoing wobbliness.
“We are seeing that there is a lot of uncertainty,” observed R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research, at location intelligence company Placer.ai, which had a display at the event. “This year, above all, it feels like people are laser-focused on driving traffic and cutting costs.” Hottovy pointed to other trends, too, such as the move by retailers and restaurants to highlight innovation through creative promotions and offerings designed to draw traffic from a consumer base weary of constant headwinds.
