Raisin cocktails, blueberry-lemon flavors and chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner are just a few of the interesting trends uncovered in Technomics latest U.S. Industry Insights report. The report, available here, surveyed customers in 25 global markets on their eating habits.
While Chick-fil-A fans might argue that fried chicken (with its famous biscuit) has always been a breakfast food, it seems the rest of the world is coming around to that idea. The report found that while about 16% of restaurant patrons reach for fried chicken for their morning meal, overall, “this number jumps to 28% in Southeast Asia, where the top four markets for fried chicken breakfast consumers are located."
Fried chicken for breakfast is by far most common in Indonesia, “where nearly half of all consumers eat fried chicken as a breakfast dish at least occasionally.” In the UAE and South Africa, approximately a fifth to a quarter of all consumers choose fried chicken for breakfast.
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Sweets with a blueberry-lemon flavors are also trending according to the report, based on the summer season with “limited-time desserts and sweet breakfast items featuring blueberry and lemon flavors together.”
Another popular trend is ice creams with floral flavors, such a marigold and violet -- or, for example, Lavender Honey at the Salt & Straw chain.
A big new-to-market trend according to the report are whiskey and rum-based cocktails spotlighting raisins at both casual and fine dining restaurants.
The continuing economic crisis still continues to impact foot traffic. The report found that “30% of consumers reported zero past-week restaurant occasions in the month of February.” For some context, the “COVID-19 peak for zero past-week visits was 39%, and the lowest the number has registered since is 26%.”
The report said that the biggest impact in the decrease in traffic is being felt disproportionally by breakfast, followed by lunch, perhaps because “the ‘no-cost’ option of coffee and breakfast at home, especially for those with less disposable income, is likely too much to pass up given the current inflationary environment.”