5 key food & experience trends for 2026
06 February 2026
Minimalist menus, Proust's madeleine or "useful" food... what's in store for 2026?
On the plates and in the customer journey, New reflexes are taking hold, habits are changing, and customers no longer expect quite the same thing when they walk through the door.
Behind these developments, it's not a question of following a trend for the sake of following a trend, but of understand what influences consumer choices, paths and desires.
In this guide, we decipher the 5 major food & experience trends that will reshape the foodservice industry in 2026with tips on how to make the most of these trends and easily adapt them to your establishment.
01. Single-product concepts, when a single dish is enough to win over customers
No more endless menus where you don't know what to choose! Today, many establishments are making the opposite choice: fewer references, but a strong, identifiable and assertive product. Hot dogs, grilled cheeses, croque-monsieur, cookies, specialty coffees... Shorter cards and a simple idea: when you open the door, you know why you're there.
This trend can be explained by a well-established change in habits. Customers don't choose a place so much as a desire. They know what they want to eat even before they decide where to eat it. In this context, too wide an offer blurs the message, whereas an assertive speciality facilitates choice and leaves a more lasting impression.
This is particularly true in highly competitive urban areas. Customs have evolved, and having a dish in one place and dessert elsewhere is now part of the code. Customers can compose their meal itinerary according to their desires, without waiting for one establishment to cover the entire meal.
For which types of plant?
➜ In the coffeeshops, specialization enables clear positioning. Specialty coffees, matcha or signature pastries become strong markers. A short but coherent offer facilitates choice, reinforces understanding of the menu and encourages loyalty.
➜ In the bars, signature recipes play a similar role. With elaborate snacks, differentiating accompaniments and shareable formats, you can move away from a generic offer, without weighing down the menu or making the service more complex.
➜ In the food courtsspecialization is often the starting point of the concept. Each stand promotes a specific product or area of expertise, helping customers to quickly grasp the whole offering and compose their meal according to their desires.
How can you adapt this trend to your business?
Support your specialization with customer reviews
You might not think about it, but the notice collection plays an essential role in this logic. Customer feedback often contains keywords directly related to your specialty: "Best croque-monsieur in Paris", "Their ice creams are incredible", etc.
These formulations, used spontaneously, boost your visibility on highly targeted searches. The clearer your positioning, the more precise these keywords become, and the more consistent your online promise, experience and visibility become.
Facilitate multi-stop shopping with a cross-store shop
In food courts, ultra-specialization can also lead to fragmentation of the offer if it is not properly presented and promoted. Customers know what they want to eat, but they need to be able to see the whole range without having to browse stand by stand.
A transverse stall on QR Code menu or Self ordering kiosk gives you an overview of all the stands. Customers can compose their meal with a single order, choosing from a range of specialties: tapas for starters, arancini for main courses and bubble tea for dessert. This visibility encourages cross-ordering and reflects the way customers consume in these locations.
02. Functional nutrition, when eating must also serve a purpose
The term fibermaxxingpopularized on the networks to describe a diet richer in fiber. But behind this still confidential trend lies a much broader underlying movement: functional nutrition.
In other words, eating not only for pleasure, but also to satisfy a purely biological need.
Energy, satiety, digestion, recovery, concentration... Expectations are evolving, driven by consumers who are increasingly attentive to what they eat and the impact of meals on their daily lives. This dynamic is particularly noticeable among active, often sporty people, who are looking for options that are consistent with their pace of life.
Functional food is also progressing because boundaries are changing. Sport, work, leisure and catering are more closely intertwined. We eat before a session, after an effort, between two activities. The meal becomes a link in the journey and no longer just a break. Offering products in line with these new habits becomes a real point of differentiation.
For which types of plant?
➜ En fast food, This trend is expressed through dishes perceived as healthier: bowls, wraps, high-fiber or high-protein options, formats that are easy to eat without feeling "heavy" at the end of the meal.
➜ In the coffeeshops, This means drinks and snacks chosen to accompany a specific moment of the day: before sport or as an alternative to the classic snack.
➜ In the hybrid locationsincluding indoor climbing gyms or concepts combining sport and catering, functional nutrition finds a natural home. The public is already aware of the importance of health, performance and a balanced diet.
How can you adapt this trend to your business?
Identify the most relevant profiles in your customer base
Not all customers have the same expectations. On the other hand, certain behaviors stand out: types of products consumed, frequency of visits, ordering times. Using the data from your loyalty programyou can segment your customer base according to their actual habits.
This segmentation makes it possible to propose more targeted offers, invite these customers to test your new cards or obtain a discount on their favourite product. The aim is not to personalize everything, but to speak more accurately to those who come back often, to make your establishment part of their daily routine.
Create links through community events
Functional food is easily integrated into local community logics. Food running clubs are a good example. More and more establishments are organizing sports outings followed by a convivial moment over coffee or a healthy brunch.
These formats work because they fulfil several objectives at once:
➜ they create recurring traffic,
➜ they build loyalty without complex mechanics
➜ they associate your establishment with an active lifestyle
With targeted email or SMS campaignsYou can inform the right profiles, remind them of appointments and set up these events over time, without relying on social networks.
03. Sauces, when the accompaniment becomes a product in its own right
Spicy, premium, homemade, signature... sauces are claiming the place they never really occupied until now. Long relegated to the status of a simple accompaniment, they are now at the heart of the menu, the experience and even the commercial strategy of establishments.
Between the explosion of bold tastes (spicy, sweet-spicy, fusion) and the influence of social networks, signature hot sauces are becoming increasingly sought-after products. Food trends show a growing interest in sauces with strong character, inspired by global cultures, and formats that break away from the ketchup / mayo standard. And this is far from a micro-trend: In France, sales have risen by 30 % in five years, boosted by social networks.
Added to this is a new regulatory factor: the European PPWR standard. As of August 12, 2026, small individual disposable sauce sachets will no longer be permitted (on site). This change will force restaurateurs to rethink their practices, especially those who until now have relied on industrial solutions to simplify service.
But this evolution can also be seen as an opportunity. By forcing them to rethink the way they offer sauces, it encourages establishments to think outside the box. from a default operation to a genuine à la carte product: more differentiating for the customer, more consistent with the identity of the venue and more interesting economically.
For which types of plant?
➜ En fast food, sauces are a natural accompaniment to burgers, nuggets, wings or fries.
➜ From the bars and pubs, hot or aromatic sauces can be easily integrated into snacks and sharing boards, with real potential for livening up and renewing the menu without upsetting the organization. (Why not organize your own "Hot Ones" evening?)
➜ The food courts and hybrid concepts benefit from favorable terrain: A curious public, a diversity of tastes and freedom to experiment. Sauces provide a common signature or, on the contrary, reinforce the identity of each stand.
How can you adapt this trend to your business?
Make sauces a visible and assertive part of your offer
Don't leave them at the bottom of the page. On your digital menuCreate a "sauces & accompaniments" category. Give them attractive names, taste profiles and engaging descriptions. When customers see a sauce listed, they perceive it as an integral, logical choice in the ordering process.
Give your average basket a boost with no constraints
When someone orders a dish, suggest the sauce that goes with it.
➜ nuggets: spicy homemade sauce for €1.50
➜ burger: signature smoked sauce for €1.80
This type of proposal is simple, coherent and increases the average basket without forcing it. Thanks to automatic product suggestionsThe sauce appears at the right moment in the order process. The customer understands the interest and naturally adds the accompaniment to his basket.
04. Gamification, when eating becomes a game stage
Today, gaming is much more than a pure leisure activity. Customers are looking for it everywhere: in their outings, in the way they consume and in the experiences they share. The rise of multi-activity complexes is clear proof of this. These places are a hit because they offer more than just an activity: they offer a collective, rhythmic, almost scripted experience.
In this context, catering can no longer be limited to a simple time-out. It becomes an integral part of the experience. Customers come to play, to spend time on site and to engage in one activity after another. Eating or drinking becomes a natural step, with no need to stop the experience.
In 2026, catering in leisure complexes is moving away from the classic model and adopting codes borrowed from gaming: continuity, progression and reward. The aim is not to add animation for the sake of "fun", but to extend the experience from beginning to end, seamlessly, in a playful way that motivates customers to stay longer (and come back!).
For which types of plant?
➜ This trend primarily concerns leisure complexes : bowlinglaser game, escape game, karaoketrampoline parks, climbing gyms and hybrid venues combining activities and catering.
How can you adapt this trend to your business?
Integrate gamification into your loyalty program
In a leisure context, the loyalty takes on a different form. It's not just a question of accumulating points, but of creating a logic of progression. Levels, challenges, rewards or wheels of fortune game mechanics are naturally integrated into the experience.
A customer can unlock a benefit after several visits, try his luck via an interactive wheel, win a drink or benefit from a bonus on a future visit. Loyalty becomes more engaging without distracting from the main game.
Streamline payments with a reload card
Visit rechargeable card is a key element of this type of course. It allows you to regulate both activities and catering with a single support. The customer recharges once, then moves freely around the site, without having to pass through the checkout again at each stage.
This avoids breaks in the experience, facilitates travel and encourages instant consumption. Ordering a drink, snack or meal becomes a reflex, part of the experience, rather than a constraint that interrupts the moment.
05. Grandma-core, nostalgia at the table
What do mayo eggs, pain au chocolat and pot-au-feu have in common? They instantly take us back to childhood. One bite is enough to bring back a habit, a smell, a familiar moment. These simple dishes, common to all generations, occupy a special place in our perception of the meal.
At a time of instability and mental strain, many customers are looking less for surprise than for reassurance. They turn to familiar, predictable recipes that provide a form of security. These "doudous" foods meet a need: to eat something that feels good, without asking questions.
This dynamic is now reflected in the maps. The great classics are back, sometimes revisited, sometimes deliberately left untouched. Bistro cooking, childhood recipes, the "grandma-core" aesthetic: these are all signs of a return to familiar landmarks, in a context where simplicity is becoming a value in itself.
For which types of plant?
➜ En fast food, simple, identifiable recipes are reassuring. Croque-monsieur, mashed potatoes, ham and butter and classic desserts all find their audience.
➜ En traditional catering, heritage dishes take center stage once again. Blanquette and île flottante have become real menu highlights.
➜ In the food courts, these recipes often play the role of safe havens, appealing to all generations.
➜ From the bakeries, the classics remain unchallenged: pain au chocolat, flan, apple pie - recipes that have stood the test of time without losing their appeal.
How can you adapt this trend to your business?
Activate targeted, contextual communication
Nostalgia works particularly well when activated at the right moment. Cooler weather, a return from vacation or a change of season are all opportunities to bring these comforting dishes back to the fore.
A targeted email or SMS communication allows you to recall an emblematic recipe, an offer of the day or a dish of the moment, without multiplying messages or communication media.
Click & Collect and delivery to prolong the "doudou" effect at home
Comfort food lends itself particularly well to off-premises consumption. In the office at lunchtime, at home in the evening, on the sofa rather than at the table... At such times, the customer is not looking for a complex experience, but a familiar landmark.
By developing offers adapted to Click & Collect and Click & DeliveryYou make these recipes accessible where they make the most sense. A takeaway blanquette, a well-executed croque-monsieur or a classic pastry all find their natural place in these everyday uses.
Back in 2024, the most ordered dish on Deliveroo was neither a burger nor a pizza, but the knife sausage and mashed potatoes from Bouillon Service in Paris. Proof that customers like to return to simple, familiar and deeply reassuring dishes.
These recipes become real sure-fires: easy to order, easy to integrate into a routine, and ideal for encouraging repeat orders.
Tell us about your plans for 2026!
Some of these trends are already echoed in your daily life, while others may open up new avenues for the future.
Our team is here to help you move from reflection to implementation, with solutions tailored to your organization.
