Eating or ordering out may seem to be a
luxury these days, but it isn’t money (or the lack thereof) that determines where consumers spend their dining dollars: It’s whether or not they have kids.
Technomic’s most
recent trend report revealed that regardless of income level, households with children are significantly more likely to visit or order from restaurants more often than once per week, as compared to
homes without children. Looking at families earning over $100k per year, the report found 75% said they ordered or ate out more than once per week, versus only 46% saying the same who didn’t
have kids.
Children significantly influence dining decisions across the board regardless of money, with a smaller gap between parents and non-parents as income declines; 47% of families making
under $50k a year order from restaurants, while 36% of people without children with similar income did the same.
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The May report also found that coffee chains dominated QSR expansion over the
past year, adding more than 1,000 locations nationwide. Overall, coffee chain locations grew by 3.2% in 2025, comprising around 34,700 U.S. locations. The top 1500 chains added approximately 3,500
stores across the country, with 80% of those falling into the coffee, chicken or beverage/snack segments.
The immense popularity of chicken, especially fried chicken, isn’t going
anywhere, especially outside the U.S. The report found that while the global preference for fried chicken has grown by an average 5% since Q2 of 2022, the Middle East preference has increased more
than 18%. This is especially evident in Saudi Arabia, which saw 25% growth. Second highest after Saudi Arabia was China, with 21% growth. North America saw 6% growth, with Europe’s preference
for chicken increasing 5%.
And lastly, in terms of trending ingredients, the report found that the popularity of both pistachio flavors and protein-forward dishes will be around for a while.
The report cited drinks such as Hot Legendary Chocolate Pistachio from Kung Fu Tea and Pistachio Rose Latte with Tache Pistachio Milk from Peet’s Coffee as top choices.