The restaurant industry remains in constant motion, shaped by new culinary trends, changing customer preferences, and seasonal ingredients. As menus evolve to keep pace with these shifts, having the right kitchen equipment plays a crucial role in allowing operators from all industry segments to adapt quickly to new ideas and expand offerings.

No, it’s not your imagination. Korean food, like Korean beauty products and K-pop bands before it, is everywhere. From spice-forward fried chicken to boundary-pushing baked goods to elaborate multicourse meals, Korea’s culinary influences continue to find a welcome home on menus across a variety of restaurants in the United States and beyond.

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Menus delve ever-deeper into the ingredients, flavors and cultures that are the hallmarks of Asian cuisine.

The beverage business continues to drive customer visits across a variety of operator segments.

Food, like fashion, is in a constant state of flux.

It’s a more-than-usually confusing time for the restaurant industry, and above all, for full-service sectors, including casual dining.

The continuing proliferation of ethnic fare on today’s menus translates to many iterations combining foods from different parts of the globe.

Personal and planetary well-being; desires to explore Southeast Asian Cuisine and washing it all down with a variety of beverages. Here are several key themes emerging from the National Restaurant Association’s 2025 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.

New things are brewing for today’s coffee shops. 

With a unique flavor profile, black garlic is gaining popularity in the culinary world.

It used to be that menu trends started at expensive, high-end restaurants and trickled their way down. Case in point: global flavors, plant-forward dishes and sustainable practices. Even the tradition of listing vendors’ names, once the domain of independent restaurants, can now be found at restaurants of all price points.

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With labor challenges continuing to plague the foodservice industry, operators are turning to various technologies to reduce staff, improve speed of service, cut down on food waste and otherwise streamline operations to save on costs.

Today’s seafood segment is focusing on sustainability, seasonality and customer education.

This music-themed concept is succeeding by making sushi, which is often considered niche, accessible to everyone.

As customers seek unique flavors and ingredients, more restaurants differentiate their offerings by expanding side dishes to include global flavors.

Increasing complexity, heat and spice continue to drive interest in more complex and varied flavors.

Burgers remain a menu mainstay. What’s changed is cooking techniques, flavor combination trends and restaurant square footage.

Cheese-between-bread items have come a long way since the ubiquitous American cheese on white bread cooked in a skillet.

As restaurant patrons become more sensitive to price increases, chicken remains an attractive menu choice, both for diners and operators.

From teas with functional ingredients to cocktails with botanicals, drinks are gaining a healthy dose of something extra these days.

A spicy and savory Mexican dish of stewed meat, birria tacos are trending in the Mexican segment and on social media. 

Today’s restaurant environment includes a full array of menu mashups.

Instead of a shared space with multiple operators, the new iteration of ghost kitchens includes ghost menus that are executed out of a commissary production kitchen or a restaurant that is typically owned by one entity.

New takes on sweet and savory transcend the trendy salted caramel flavor.

Comfort foods with a retro and/or nostalgic influence remain prominent on today’s menus.

Generally deemed a good value for portion size from consumers, barbecue continues its successful run; new sauce flavors help, as does current protein cost.

A wider availability of low- and no-alcohol beverages has driven menu mentions and interest among consumers.