CHICAGO — With 2023 in its final days, baking companies have begun looking ahead at trends anticipated to generate buzz in 2024. Mondelez Foodservice looked at industry trends and takeaways to spark inspiration for the new year.
It is evident that social media influences consumers’ food choices. Restaurant and c-store operators can engage with prospective consumers on social media and find new ideas to incorporate into their own menus in various ways.
Making visually appealing menu items is a great way to get the attention of consumers on social media. Fifty-one percent of consumers, for example, are interested in “Instagrammable” desserts, as seen in Datassential’s Desserts Keynote. Additionally, 79% of Gen Z and 69% of millennials have tried a food or flavor they saw on social media, according to Datassential’s Midyear Trends Report.
Staying up to date on trends is another way to engage with an online audience. TikTok has also proved to be a repeated way to increase followers. What started as an emerging trend is now influencing the food service industry.
Regional cuisine has also been trailblazing through the food trends throughout the last decade, and the same impact is expected in 2024.
Rising regional foods such as beignets are ripe for elevation and modernization. Stores have also been leaning into regional locations to influence menu offerings. Foods that are made locally or historic to the region have been added to menus as a “thank you” to consumers.
Some regional desserts predicted to rise in popularity in 2024, according to SNAP! by Datassential, include Boston cream pie, coconut cake, key lime pie and whoopie pie.
Limited time offers (LTOs) are on the rise again, with levels returning to pre-pandemic. This means that operators will need to strategize LTO releases to ensure these products stand out.
A way to increase LTO buzz in the food industry has been to incorporate celebrities to design their own meals. Seasonal LTOs may seem to be an obvious choice when companies are deciding what LTOs are going to be rolled out throughout the year, however, fewer than half of dessert-serving limited-service restaurants offer seasonal or LTO desserts.
Retro ingredients and dishes are set to continue to modernize in new ways in 2024, especially in the dessert category. Mashups are a way to spice up a recipe to pique the interest of consumers.
Around-the-clock snacking became a trend when the pandemic hit, and it has continued to gain popularity among consumers ever since. Offering transportable packaging for snacks entices consumers to reach for a snack in between meals.
Visit the Mondelez International website for more information.
