Article contributed by Leith Steel, Senior Strategist & Head of Insights at Carbonate
As we step into a new year, it’s the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and look ahead with fresh eyes. Our 17th annual AF&Co./Carbonate Hospitality Trends Report explores the powerful cultural and social shifts reshaping the hospitality industry.
From the rise of global flavors and the growing demand for non-alcoholic options, to the evolving ideas of what constitutes a “meal” or “snack,” these trends are driven by deeper changes in consumer behavior and the way people engage with food, beverages, and experiences.
The report is intended as a toolbox for inspiring creativity and actionable strategies to stay ahead of the curve, offering insights on how to capitalize on these trends to enhance relevance, boost sales, and build lasting connections with customers and guests.
Shifts in how we consume and trust information, along with the broader macro trends influencing hospitality, will continue to shape the industry in 2025 and beyond.
Table of Contents
Pistachio is Flavor of the Year
Have we reached peak pistachio? While pistachio has been gaining popularity for several years, the pistachio is popping up in everything from salads, to sandwiches, sauces, sides and sweets—and in every type of drink from coffee to cocktails.
With its green hue and ability to skew salty or sweet it seems made for the Instagram age. It’s replacing the more traditional almond or hazelnut in pastries. It’s frequently paired with mortadella (one of our top trends from 2024) in sandwiches and on pizza.
It plays a starring role in the Dubai Chocolate Bar with its pistachio based filling, and it is a staple in the new trending Yemeni coffee houses where it’s showcased in vibrant green pistachio lattes with an intensely rich nutty flavor.
Dubai Chocolate Bar
Thanks to the viral popularity of the Dubai Chocolate Bar (a chocolate bar filled with crispy kataifi,a shredded filo dough, and pistachio paste)—where one video alone reached over 90 million views, and four out of top five pistachio-related Google search terms were in relation to the bar—we expect to see chefs reinterpreting its flavors in new and creative ways.
Look for Dubai Chocolate inspired waffles, cupcakes, and ice cream sundaes in the coming year, and likely a Dubai Chocolate Mocha too.
Kataifi Creations
This interest will likely also pave the way for other uses of kataifi where it can lend a pleasing “crunch” to other dishes. Keep your eyes peeled for knafeh, a traditional sweet and savory kataifi-based dessert that’s stuffed cheese and baked and topped with a sweet sugar syrup.
Freezer Martinis
Martinis have been trending for ages, and the espresso martini isn’t going anywhere (yet), but “Freezer Martinis” are the variation du jour, popping up and named as such, on menus across the country.
Rather than relying on other flavors, this trend is all about the temperature, serving the drink ice cold. Pre-batched, and stored in freezing temperatures, Freezer Martinis can help make service snappy, and ensure a properly cold and well-blended classic cocktail every time.
Croissant as Container
After multiple croissant crazes, from the cronut, to the cruffin, the cube, spiral suprême, and even the improbable sphere, we’re now seeing croissants used as a container—an indulgent edible vehicle for other sweet or savory items.
The croissant is adaptable; it can be a cup for hot chocolate, or a triangle for Japanese-style stuffed onigiri. Always indulgent, it appeals to the American desire for over-the-top foods, while offering attention-grabbing photographic appeal.
Far Eastern Convenient Store Fare
New QSR concepts across the country are replicating the instant ramen shops popular in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, where diners select their preferred dried ramen from dozens of varieties, cook them on-site using special hotplate machines, and personalize their bowls with an array of toppings—from soft-boiled eggs, to fried garlic, pork belly, or kimchi.
Interactive, quick, convenient and low-cost, the concept is finding a new foothold in the U.S. Easy to operate, with low labor and kitchen requirements, they are an interesting model, not only for QSR or convenience stores, but also hotel lobbies.
This interest in Japanese & Korean convenience store staples expands well beyond just ramen– expect to see more onigiri (stuffed rice balls), Japanese “sandos” (crustless sandwiches), and crispy katsu (fried chicken or pork), amongst other delicious snacks.
Chickpea Fries
Whether called chickpea fries or panisse, the fried chickpea flour based baton is having a major moment. Made from inexpensive ingredients, chickpea fries are hearty and filling. They can complement many different flavors, and serve as a great backdrop or accompaniment for a dish.
The fact that they’re gluten free, relatively high in protein, and can easily be made vegan, is contributing to an increased interest in them as a delicious shareable starter or the base of a main dish.
Coffee Cocktails Are Going Bananas
Given the enduring popularity and ubiquity of the espresso martini, it’s no surprise that bartenders are creating playful interpretations of the drink. One popular riff adds banana to the mix. Maybe it’s the idea that both coffee and bananas are commonly consumed at breakfast that makes this unlikely duo so popular.
These spirit-forward drinks are hardly your sweet tropical sippers; the banana provides a subtle underlying sweetness to balance out the alcohol, without dominating the flavor. Thanks to their star ingredients, they are a particular favorite for brunch cocktails.
Sodas Get Dirty, And Coffee Will Too
What started in Utah as a popular alternative for those abstaining from alcohol and coffee has taken hold among the younger crowd.
A combination of sodas, flavored syrups, cream, fruit, or other inclusions ranging from tapioca pearls to cookie crumbs, dirty sodas appeal to those looking for a refreshing, inexpensive, non-run-of-the-mill drink, or a flavorful caffeine & sugar pick-me-up coffee alternative.
Infinitely customizable, these drinks offer affordable adventure in a cup.
This trend will likely not only change how soda is served and consumed, but we are already seeing some carryover into coffee, with iced tea and coffee combinations, or coffee mixed with lemonade for a refreshing caffeinated drink.
With over 20 years of experience in culinary arts, media relations, and brand strategy, Leith Steel brings extensive industry knowledge to Carbonate.
At af&co., she managed high-profile restaurant accounts and secured press in major outlets. As Senior Strategist at Carbonate, she leads trend reports, contributes to industry publications, and drives client marketing strategies.
