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1National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgCULINARY FORECAST

2National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgSocial media is making foodies of us all. The top “Macro Trend” in the 2024 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast— according to more than 1,500 culi-nary professionals—is incorporating social media trends into restaurant menus and marketing. Making use of platforms like TikTok is top of mind for operators and very much a two-way street when it comes to influence. Viewers help restaurant fare go viral and restaurants riff on online food fads, parlaying them into innovative menu additions or LTOs. In the food categories—dishes, ingredi-ents, flavors and condiments—comfort and community dominate. Soups and stews, stuffed vegetables, and melty cheeses are classic comfort foods and are a safe way for consumers to sample unique ingredi-ents and flavors from other regions, both domestic and international. Social sharing quickly heightens awareness of regional food discoveries. When it comes to beverages, energy and health are the keynotes. In the non-alcohol category, beverages that boost energy are in demand, but consumers are increasingly looking for ingredients that boost health, too. The botanicals infusing the cocktail market also carry a health-forward vibe, with easy-to-recognize herbs, berries, flowers and leaves enhancing the flavor and presentation. Low-alcohol beverages, both the commercial brands restaurants sell and the cocktails they create, have a health hook that’s trending well with adults today. Check out the What’s Hot top picks and take a peek at the emerging trends in each category—are you on track to strike while the trend iron’s hot? All the world’s a menuNational Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.org2

3National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgTOP 101. World Stage Soups & Stews (Birria, Chicken Tom Kha, Laksa, Salmorejo, Upscale Ramen) 2. Global Chicken Wings 3. International BBQ 4. Incorporating Social Media Trends (TikTok) 5. Grilled/Cooked Cheeses (Provoleta, Queso Fundido, Raclette, Halloumi, Juustoleipa) 6. Wagyu Beef 7. Stuffed Vegetables (Chiles en Nogada, Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) 8. Regional Menus 9. Streamlined Menus10. Hot Honey Breakfast SandwichesWORLD STAGE SOUPS & STEWSNational Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgTRENDS OVERALL

4National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgfeels like homeComfort foods clearly appeal, and nothing says comfort like a bowl of delicious soup or savory stew. Soups and stews check all the boxes: they’re a safe way for customers to experience new ingredients and unique avors; they present an economical way to diversify the menu, especial-ly as menus are being streamlined; recipes are super sharable and even viral, as SoupTok attests; and they travel well. Soups and stews track as “healthy,” too. Several of these attri-butes apply to Grilled/Cooked Chees-es, as well. A fun way to experience international specialties, many of these cheesy dishes are intended for group preparation and consumption—that’s entertainment, communal connection, and comfort all in one.• World Stage Soups & Stews (Birria, Chicken Tom Kha, Laksa, Salmorejo, Upscale Ramen) • Global Chicken Wings • International BBQ • Grilled/Cooked Cheeses (Provoleta, Queso Fundido, Raclette, Halloumi, Juustoleipa) • Stuffed Vegetables (Chiles en Nogada, Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) STUFFED VEGETABLESGLOBAL CHICKEN WINGSGRILLED/COOKED CHEESESNational Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.org4TOP dishes

5National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgBIRRIA TACOSROOT VEGETABLESWAYGU BEEFrooted in flavorA social media darling, chefs are using birria, the spicy, sweet, smoky stew, to elevate tacos, sandwiches, nachos, poutines, pasta, and more. Expect to see more birria on menus in many creative applications.• Wagyu Beef • Root Vegetables • BirriaTOP ingredientsemerging• Calamansi (Philippine lime)• Cannabis-Infused Dishes• Cucamelon (citrusy cucumber)tautau55National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Res rant.org

6National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgINTERNATIONAL BBQthe heat is onEVERYTHING BAGEL SPICENASHVILLE HOTHIBISCUSCoast to coast customers find Carolina, Kansas City, and Texas BBQ sauces together on the table. They have a choice of Chicago, New York, or Detroit-style pizzas, and can sample local takes on upper Midwest hotdish and low-country boils. Chefs are looking to regional standouts for inspiration and nding ways to make them their own. Nashville hot is one such standout, a natural avor to emerge after Fried/Chicken Sandwiches 3.0 topped 2023’s Hot list. Agave syrup is another to emerge from a 2023 top trend, alter-native sweeteners; it’s sweeter than sugar but easier on the glycemic index. Also gaining high marks, hibiscus, with its tart-sweet, cranberry-ish avor, is a versatile ingredient in everything from salads, to beer, cocktails, and desserts.TOP flavors• Nashville Hot• Everything Bagel Spice• Agave Syrup• Turmeric Ginger• Hibiscus 6National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgNational Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.org

7National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgMuch like sriracha, expect to see Tajin proliferate in kitchens. A kick on everything from mango to meat, Tajin is traditionally made from salt, dehydrated lime juice, chile peppers, and garlic. Social-shares include Tajin baked into mango fruit leather and Tajin- sprinkled elote.TOP condimentsEMERGING• Tkemali (a tangy, sour Georgian plum sauce)• Pandan (powdered Asian leaf with hints of rose, almond and vanilla)• Golden Berry (with hints of pineapple, mango; resembles a tomatillo)TAJIN-SPRINKLED ELOTECHILI CRISPGOLDEN BERRY• Chili Crisp• Tajin• Chipotle Ketchup7National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.org

8National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgTOP beverages • Nitro Cold Brew• Energy Drinks• Functional Waters The common denominator in non- alcohol beverages is the demand for products that boost energy—but those that promise health benefits in addition to energy are gaining market share fast. Energy drinks and functional waters touted to enhance focus, improve stami-na, help gut health, and ease inamma-tion claim to contain natural ingredients, vitamins, amino acids, probiotics, electro-lytes, and other health-related additives, and they don’t forfeit on avor. These beverages are an easy way for consum-ers to sample intriguing avors such as black currant, passionfruit, dragonfruit, elderower, and hibiscus as well as avor mashups. In restaurants, the new water offering could be “sparkling, tap or functional?”emerging• Zero-Proof Spirits• CBD Drinks• Tepache (brewed with pineapple peels)NITRO COLD BREWENERGY DRINKSTEPACHE8National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgBetter. Healthier. tastier.

9National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgHARD COFFEESPICKLE COCKTAILSmother naturemixes best• Botanical Cocktails • Hard Coffees • Low-Alcohol Cocktails Consumers are looking for more when they indulge in spirits: more flavor and more unusual flavors, more energy, and more options with less alcohol. Botanical ingredients are popular, elegantly scenting and avoring spirits with recognizable natural elements (spices, herbs, owers, ber-ries, seeds, calyxes) that also lend perceived health benets to cocktails. Health plays a part in the popularity of low- and zero-alcohol versions of cocktails, beers, spirits and wine as well. Restaurants that manage to market high-end low- and alcohol-free cocktails can capture a beverage upsell that has a sweet food cost.TOP alcohol beveragesemerging• Sotol Cocktails• Pickle Cocktails• Low-Sulfite, Low-Alcohol WineBOTANICAL COCKTAILS9National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.org

10National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgNational Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.org•Incorporating Social Media Trends •Regional Menus•Streamlined Menus•Restaurants as Entertainment•Inventory OptimizationTikTok’s impact on food trends and restaurant menus can’t be overstated. Through social media and at viral speeds, consumers dis-cover virtually unknown flavors, ingredients, prep methods, and menu hacks. Restaurant dishes become viral sensations and vice versa—in the right culinary hands, viral “food fads” can successfully translate to menus and LTOs. Social platforms are intrinsic to restaurant mar-keting today, capturing attention and generating buzz. Social media plays a part too in consumers’ awareness of regional foods, both domestic and international. But the fun is not just in adopting the original but rather nding tastier, more creative, more buzz-worthy ways of using regional stars to create original dishes.hot macro trendsemerging•Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration•Augmented Reality•Monthly Restaurant Subscriptionsclicking with foodies SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDSRESTAURANTS AS ENTERTAINMENTREGIONAL MENUS10

11National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgMETHODOLOGYTargeted to leaders in the culinary world, more than 1,500 culinary professionals weighed in to tell us what they see as the leading menu trends for 2024 in this year’s What’s Hot Culinary Forecast. (Survey fielded Oct. 9-23, 2023)Presented with a list of 120 food and beverage items and industry macro trends curated by the National Restaurant Association, including:• Dishes & Ingredients• Flavors & Condiments• Non-Alcohol Beverages• Alcohol Beverages• Macro TrendsFor more information, contact the National Restaurant Association askus@restaurant.orgHudson RiehleSenior Vice President, Research & Knowledge GroupBruce GrindyVice President & Chief Economist, Research & Knowledge GroupHelen Jane HearnSenior Director, Enterprise ProgramsBeth LorenziniDirector of Editorial Content, Enterprise MarketingDesign:Dani SmithCreative DirectorSusan RaynorSenior Art DirectorFood Styling: Lisa CherkaskyPhotography: Renée CometAdditional photography: Getty Images 11National Restaurant Association | What’s Hot 2024 | Restaurant.orgCULINARY FORECAST