Food trends 2025: Burnaway cakes, egg flights, private dining, and more
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A new year means new food trends, giving restaurants an opportunity to broaden their horizons and tap into shifting consumer preferences. Making trend predictions based on search volume (like we did here by studying Yelp search data) is a good way to get an idea of which way the wind is blowing. Restaurants that stay ahead of the curve can end up being trend setters instead of followers, showcasing popular items before they go mainstream. So, with all that in mind, we present to you the biggest food trends for 2025.
For 2025’s food trend predictions, Yelp tapped its team of data scientists, community managers and Trend Expert Tara Lewis to see what will be on everyone’s menu next year. To help determine those trends, we looked at millions of searches for words, phrases, and businesses that saw significant interest between 2023 and 2024 across restaurant, food, and nightlife categories.
Food trends include flaming cakes, Hawaiian themes, tasting options, good ol’ sandwiches, and chain restaurant combos. Drink trends lean heavily towards coffee or mushroom-based beverages. We’ll cover changing social trends as well, which can affect the types of events you plan for 2025.
Food trends 2025
Familiar flavors have come full circle to regain popularity while new trends will become rising stars. Here’s a look at the foods we expect to be blowing up in the coming year.
Burnaway cakes
Valentines burnaway cake from Infinity Cakes & More in San Antonio, Texas; photo via Daemain S. on Yelp.
Searches up 12,276% for burnaway cakes (!)
Burnaway cakes have exploded on social media this year, adding a fun twist to popular concepts like gender reveals, birthdays, anniversaries, and more. A custom cake is covered by a thin, flammable, and edible wafer paper that carries a message while hiding another message underneath. Since people are naturally wired to enjoy both suspense and fire, it’s a wonder these cakes didn’t get popular sooner.
Searches for these cakes have gone truly viral: They’re up 12,276% year on year. Now that’s what you call a trend being on fire.
Hawaiian flavors
Selection of dishes from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Austin, TX; photo via L&L Hawaiian Barbecue on Yelp.
Searches up 523% for Hawaiian macaroni salad and 88% for Hawaiian BBQ
Hawaiian cuisine is back in a big way. Specific dishes like Hawaiian macaroni salad are thoroughly in fashion, up 523% over last year. At the same time, more general searches for Hawaiian BBQ are up 88%. Both independently owned and chain Hawaiian restaurants are seeing breakneck growth and winning awards, so adding Hawaiian flavors to a menu is a lei-up idea.
Sandwich innovations
Mike’s Chopped Italian sandwich from QC Pour House in Charlotte, North Carolina; photo via John K. on Yelp.
Searches up 1,467% for the Italian Chopped sandwich—others jump too
Big things are happening in the sandwich world, where innovation never stops. The Italian Chopped Sandwich, for example, went viral on TikTok (and for good reason). Searches for it are up a whopping 1,467%. Meanwhile, other new viral sandwiches are making social media users salivate. The pickle sandwich saw its searches spike 587%, while the Caesar salad sandwich went up 449% and the raclette sandwich jumped 495%.
So, if you at all serve sandwiches, consider adding these hits to your list (and promoting the heck out of them).
Restaurant chain lightning
Whiskey bacon burger from Applebee’s Grill + Bar in Detroit, Michigan; photo via Applebee’s Grill + Bar on Yelp.
Searches up 835% for fast food deals
Both fast food restaurants and traditional chain restaurants have seen electric changes as customers seek out value meals and discounts. A surge in demand for fast food deals saw searches leap to a shocking 835% as customers seek economic grounding. Resistance to this trend is futile, as searches for Applebee’s bolted to a thunderous 7,035% over the previous year.
Beverage trends 2025
Beverages are constantly evolving, too, and the seeds and spores of change have brought us new trends. Whereas 2024 trended towards the creatively boozy, 2025 offers sober-curious options.
New year, new coffee
Mint Mojito Coffee from Philz Coffee in Chicago, Illinois; photo via Thuy N. on Yelp.
Searches for coffee flights up 3,255%, Einspanner up 1,145%
Coffee shops around the country are offering new flavors and experiences to cater to customer demands. Take the einspanner, for example: The classic whipped-cream topped coffee has been popular in Vienna for ages, but is now viral in the U.S. Searches for it are up 1,145% over last year.
Meanwhile, a number of other coffee beverages have blown up. The mojito coffee rose 591% in searches while Vietnamese coconut coffee jumped 254%. People are looking to broaden their brew horizons by tasting new types of beans, roasts, and preparations. How much, you ask? Coffee omakase (letting the barista choose what you drink) saw searches hike 742%, while coffee flights climbed an amazing 3,255%.
Groovy mushrooms
Brain Wash™ mocha, signature drink from Wunderground in Seattle Washington features 1,000mg of adaptogenic mushrooms; photo via Wunderground on Yelp.
Searches for mushroom drink up 501%
Mushrooms have been making their way into beverages nationwide. Mushroom coffee and other drinks have exploded on social media, leading many to turn to them as healthier options to traditional caffeine-laden beverages. While we can’t comment on the health benefits, we do know they’re getting quite popular (and contain antioxidants). Searches for “mushroom drink” grew 501%, while “mushroom coffee” and “mushroom tea” rose by 87% and 10% respectively.
Overall trends 2025
A couple of significant trends caught our eye that indicate overall shifts in the restaurant business.
Flights of fancy
Searches for wine flights up 399%, egg flights up 496%
Tasting flights for both drinks and food are steadily rising as customers want to sample different flavors to explore their palate. Wine flights, long an established concept, are up a significant 399%, but other flight types have joined them in popularity. Martini flights are also up, at 162%, letting customers explore the martini multiverse that expanded last year.
Now we’re seeing food flights grow, and it’s a wonder it didn’t happen sooner. Egg flights are up 496%, cookie flights rose 384%, and pasta flights climbed 127%. As this is part of a broader trend, we expect that flights of many varieties will gain steam when chefs and restaurateurs get their creative juices flowing.
Group dining
Table setting at Palma in NYC; photo via Anastasiia K. on Yelp.
Searches for private room dining are up 6,531%
Group dining is coming back in style in a big way. Perhaps as a final throwing off of pandemic-style aloneness, people are seeking out ways to make friends and build communities. Searches for private room dining are up a staggering 6,531% while searches for large group restaurants rose by an impressive 1,461%. Special events are being celebrated more out of the house, too: Searches for the best restaurants for a group birthday party are 572% higher than last year.
Evergreen restaurant trends
Some trends are long-term and here to stay. Offering veggie-friendly menus and keeping your restaurant as sustainable as possible are solid ideas for the foreseeable future.
Plant-based foods
For the past several years, plant-based diets have been gaining popularity. For restaurants, this is an opportunity to expand offerings and get creative to make these plant-based foods both yummy and nutritious. Rather than turn to factory offerings, looking to traditional solutions can garner customers’ attention. Making staples like lentils a core part of a veggie menu keeps customers full and keeps costs down. Sea moss has gained popularity as a wellness-promoting seasoning, while gut-healthy kimchi encourages a healthy microbiome.
Offering snacks like crispy rice chips and tahini or Asian vegetarian dumplings will also keep a restaurant in the happy veggie loop next year.
Sustainability
Minimizing waste and encouraging sustainable practices has long been popular with Americans, and the trend isn’t going away. Data has long shown that up to two-thirds of customers are willing to pay more for food that uses sustainable packaging, for example. Simply sourcing as locally as possible and indicating you’ve put good practices in place to maintain sustainability can attract customers.
Keep up with tech trends, too
Just as food and drink trends evolve, tech trends in the restaurant industry evolve as well. But unlike food trends, which are cyclical or go through phases, tech trends generally point one direction: forward.
Upgrading your technology is a surefire way to step into the future. The best restaurant software, like Yelp Guest Manager, makes life easier for restaurateurs, restaurant staff, and customers all at the same time. Automating most reservations through the Yelp app or Booking Links saves everyone time and prevents communication hiccups, like with wait times. Fully customizable floor plans empower staff to do their best and leave the busywork to the software—as it should be.
So, if you’re looking to keep up with the hottest trends, give us a shout for a free demo. We know how important it is to stay au courant, and the rewards can be enormous.
Methodology
To identify trends, Yelp analyzed the change in consumer searches, comparing September 2023 through August 2024 vs. the 12 months prior.