Top 10 Food and Beverage Trends at Restaurants
This report is presented with support from Groupex Canada.
Menu trends continued to evolve at restaurants in 2024 due to a shift back to full-service restaurant dining, more Canadians choosing to dine solo, guests that are more health conscious, and the shift to a more diverse population. As a result, water, beer/cider and hot tea were the fastest-growing menu items over a three-year between 2021 and 2024 according to Ipsos Foodservice Monitor. Meanwhile, the fastest-declining menu items were hot coffee, burgers and carbonated soft drinks.
Despite these shifts, the list of the top 10 food items and beverages remained relatively unchanged compared to 2023. French fries, breakfast (including breakfast sandwiches) and burgers still ranked as the top 3 foods purchased from a restaurant, while hot coffee, carbonated soft drinks and iced coffee were the top 3 beverages.
Looking ahead, Canada’s demographic shift towards a more diverse population represents a significant opportunity for growth in the industry. By 2041, nearly half of Canadians will belong to a visible minority group, many of whom dine out more frequently than others. South Asian, Chinese and Middle Eastern communities are leading this trend. To attract a more diverse and multicultural customer base, restaurants can offer more international dishes and flavours, and add items that accommodate different dietary needs such as halal, kosher, plant-based and lactose- or nut-free options. This report highlights some of these trends and preferences of various visible minority groups.
This report is excerpted from our 2024 Foodservice Facts report.
