Home >> Trends >> The 13 hottest food & beverage trends of 2019
Food, drink and restaurant trends are popping up – and then disappearing – faster than ever before. Everyone seems to have an opinion on which trends are going to be big for the next year. How do you know which ones to pay attention to, and which ones will disappear faster than you can say activated charcoal? In preparation for ROOT founder Kuvy Ax’s presentation on 2019 Restaurant Trends at the Wyoming Governor’s Conference on Hospitality & Tourism, our team spent hours sifting through restaurant trends articles by big foodie publications such as the New York Times and Eater, and food & beverage expert organizations like the National Restaurant Association, as well as interviewing top food editors and food experts, to come up the 13 most important trends you should know about for 2019.
Cannabis is King
One of the top trends, if not THE number one trend, is the rise of cannabis-infused food and drinks. Chefs are working fast to be on the leading edge of incorporating THC and CBD into various dishes. THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana (it will get you “high”) and CBD is the non-psychoactive cannabidiol component of marijuana (it relieves aches and pains without getting you “high”). CBD is purported to have numerous health benefits including brain health and overall wellbeing. Expect to see things like THC-infused beers, sparkling waters, teas, and coffee, as well as CBD-infused cocktails, lattes, syrups, smoothies, and snacks.
Fermentation Fury
All things fermented are IN this year. People want to consume less processed food and are turning to some of the oldest food traditions – fermentation, pickling and preserving. These gut-friendly foods are full of both flavor and probiotics. Menus will prominently feature things like kimchi, pickled veggies and rinds, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, kefir, sourdough, and tepache. Other less well-known fermented foods like turnip greens and mushrooms will also grow in popularity. One thing’s certain – kombucha on tap will become commonplace in many restaurants.
Attack of the Sours
Bitter was king in 2018, and now sour flavors will come to the forefront in 2019. In addition to sour flavors from more fermented products (see above), sour flavors in beers and cuisines are all the rage. The sourness of fermented foods like kimchi and pickles will pop up on menus everywhere. Also expect to see more dishes from cuisines like Filipino, Korean and Persian that prominently feature sour flavors. When it comes to beverages, sour beers will gain traction, like goses and wild ales, as well as kombucha, shrubs, and ciders.
Kick the Waste
Zero-waste cooking is on the rise as consumers want to know restaurants are producing as little waste as possible when preparing their meals. Growing attention is given to sustainability and environmentally friendly practices. Zero-waste cooking also lends itself to creativity in the kitchen – consider using the entire vegetable (stalks, greens, skins) or the entire animal (offal, marrow). Chefs are working to find more ways to use and transform food scraps, “ugly” or damaged produce, and leftovers.
Hyper-Local
Using locally-sourced produce, meats, and spirits has been a top trend for the last five years and is only growing stronger. More than ever before, consumers want to know where their food comes from. It’s not enough to locally source just one ingredient – the more local ingredients on the menu, the better! Vegetables are the most common ingredients to be locally sourced, but this should also include fruit, meat and dairy (and alcohol)! A hyper-local approach supports vendors and farmers in the community, reduces the environmental impact from transporting food long distances, and ensures foods lose less nutrients during transportation.
Plant-Based is Here to Stay
Whether for health, ethical or environmental reasons, consumers want more plant-based foods and protein alternatives. Expect to see more lentils, beans, chickpeas, and nuts. Plant-based protein alternatives to meat are getting tastier and more creative by the day. Products like the Impossible Burger are already outselling traditional burgers in some markets. Consumers who want more plant-based foods may not identify as vegan or vegetarian, but are simply looking to reduce their meat and dairy intake, whether for a meal or a day.
Rise of the Vegetables
Speaking of which… consumers are eating and craving more vegetables and menus are reflecting that demand. Restaurants don’t need to be ALL vegetarian in order to jump on board the trend of more vegetable-centered dishes. Adding more sides or entrees that feature vegetables is easy. Vegetarian mains will be showcased more prominently on menus, with just as much thought put into them as meat mains. What are “whole vegetable” entrees? Think of the “whole beast” movement, but now with vegetables. Also expect to see more all-vegetarian tasting menus.
Off-Beat Meats & Seafood
Meat eaters and omnivores fear not! Even though plant-based and vegetarian foods are gaining popularity, most consumers still love meat. Plus, today’s consumer is more adventurous than ever. They’re looking for new foods and experiences, and that includes new cuts and types of meat. Seafood menus will feature more squid, cuttlefish, geoduck, roe, monkfish, and trippa. New cuts of meat will also gain prominence, like Vegas strip steak, merlot cut, shoulder tender, bavette, and oyster steak.
Food Easier Than Ever
Consumers want good food fast, with an emphasis on quality ingredients. Snacks are becoming more and more popular, with unique and interesting snacks leading the pack. Snacking is no longer an afterthought – it’s an expected habit of everyday eating. “Grab and go” will also continue its popularity growth. Keeping in this vein, chef-driven fast casual outfits are on the rise. Chefs are putting as much thought into these fast casual concepts as traditional ones, including prominently featuring luxury ingredients on the menu. Consumers want quality food without the time and money of traditional sit-down dining.
Craft, Artisanal & Local Beverages
We know people love local, but it’s especially true when it comes to beverages. This trend is going stronger than ever and shows no signs of slowing. Consumers are drinking local, craft and artisanal spirits, beers and wines in higher rates than ever. In addition to the boozy stuff, consumers are also looking for other drinks like coffee, tea and sodas to be “craft” or artisanal.
Restaurants & Brands for Good
In 2019, consumers want to see that their restaurants and brands care about more than just making a profit; they want to see that they are giving back to the community. Consumers want their brands’ values to align with theirs. This includes supporting various causes like greater sustainability, hunger and poverty reduction, animal welfare, women-owned businesses, and much more. Involvement in these causes takes many forms and ranges from chefs getting involved in global natural disaster relief or restaurants having regular nights where a portion of proceeds is donated to a local charity or non-profit.
Less Booze, More Flavor
People are increasingly becoming more conscientious when it comes to alcohol consumption or choosing to live a substance-free lifestyle year-round. Other trends things like “Dry January” are pushing restaurants and bars to offer more alcohol-free options. Consumers who want low- or non-alcoholic drinks still want to spend money on scrumptious beverages. Expect to see more mocktails with unique and exciting flavors, house-made sodas, and fresh ingredients. Low-alcohol spirits, wine and beer will also pop up on more menus.
Middle-Eastern Flare
Trend reports love to predict the new “it” cuisine, and the predictions are literally all over the map. While many non-Western European cuisines will become more prevalent, you can be sure to see more of Middle Eastern cuisines gaining momentum – Israeli, Lebanese, Syrian, Georgian, and Turkish. Ingredients like dates, mint and pistachios, plus dishes like khachapuri (a popular Georgian-style pizza) and shakshuka (a Middle Eastern breakfast dish) will appear on more menus in 2019.
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Senior PR Account Manager Emily Tracy has more than a decade of experience in food, beverage and hospitality PR. Emily was drawn to PR from her desire to support the small businesses who create the foundation of strong communities. She creates and implements award-winning PR campaigns with a heavy focus on strategic media relations and compelling content.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a dual major in journalism (PR sequence) and political science, she was the lead content specialist and an account manager for a full-service communications firm in Atlanta. During her time there, she managed two PRSA winning campaigns, one in content marketing and one in crisis management.
Today, she’s fulfilling her dream in Colorado by representing some of the finest good food businesses in the U.S. and beyond, including Bubbies Fine Foods, The Plant Based Seafood Co., Savory Spice, Table22, Birdcall, Motherlove Herbal Company, Boulder County Farmers Markets, Naturally Boulder and others. Through her work at ROOT, she has won a silver or gold award every year she’s applied from the Public Relations Society of America (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 – so far!)
Kuvy Ax, Owner
Kuvy Ax is the founder and owner of ROOT, a seasoned and award-winning PR, marketing and social media agency dedicated to supporting good food – to those who grow it, make it, sell it and bring it to life.
For more than 20 years, Kuvy and her team have handled public relations and marketing for almost every type of food or beverage-related company, program, and event. Her nonprofit/volunteer work has included positions as President of Pollination Planet, Co-President of Slow Food Boulder County, as a member of the Board of Directors of the World Travel Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Les Dames D’Escoffier. She has also been a member of the CTO and Dept. of Agriculture’s Heritage & Agritourism Committee, and volunteered for the Flatirons Food Film Festival for many years.
The ROOT team has earned seven PRSA CO Chapter Awards since 2021.
In 2022, Kuvy was a judge for the New Hope Network Expo West and Expo East NEXTY Awards, and was also a speaker at both Expo West and Expo East. She was also a judge and trainer for New Hope’s inaugural Press Pitch event.
In 2023, Kuvy was a New Hope Network Expo West Pitch Slam semi-finalist judge and mentor, as well as emcee for the actual event.
Kuvy loves nothing more than traveling, eating, and eating while traveling.
Anna Wilhelmsen, PR Specialist
Anna Wilhelmsen is a seasoned communications professional with over a decade of expertise in food, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle PR. She leverages PR as a tool for positive change to drive meaningful results while aligning with her client’s business objectives.
Anna has represented renowned figures in the restaurant industry such as Wolfgang Puck, and food CPG brands including McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream and Vital Farms. Her corporate communications experience in-house at leading consumer brands like The Bouqs Co and Beautycounter honed her skills in navigating the complexities of high-growth environments. She works with clients to provide strategic PR and communications planning, media relations, corporate communications, brand partnerships, brand positioning, and more.
Becky Witkowski, Marketing and Admin Specialist
Becky’s 15 years of marketing experience includes large and small agencies, startups, social media and event-focused agencies, and full-service agencies.
Working in such different spectrums of the industry has provided her with the opportunity to be an expert in field trends, better analyze the effectiveness of marketing programs, and further understand the importance of having a strong strategic focus in all campaigns.
She graduated from Champlain College, located in Burlington, VT, and has since lived all over the country! She brings her go-with-the-flow attitude and problem-solving skills to her role at ROOT as resident “figure-it-outer.” When she’s not writing social content or brainstorming campaigns, she can be found doing a myriad of duties including our newsletter, website fixes, client research, and organizational tasks. In her spare time, Becky can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee while trying to wrangle her two sons (dog and human).
Josephine Agrawal, Social Media Strategist and Trainer
Josephine Agrawal, our Social Media Strategist and Influencer Marketing Manager, is a grammar-obsessed marketing conference nerd who brings 6+ years of digital marketing experience in social media, content strategy and brand voice development to the table.
Josephine loves the challenge of conveying brands’ personalities and real-life passion through their social media channels.
Josephine entered the world of social media marketing while working with MerleFest, one of America’s most renowned and oldest Bluegrass music festivals. With a passion and ear for music, Josephine moved to Nashville, Tenn., and became a go-to social media marketer for local restaurants, renowned musicians, and the Nashville Public Library system. She specialized in event promotion for some of Nashville’s most beloved events, helping to draw crowds that exceeded 100,000. Josephine has also worked extensively in the media world, handling social media for publications like Ed Helms’ The Bluegrass Situation, Edible Nashville, Nashville Scene and the Nashville Post.
She left Music City in 2018 to become the Digital Marketing Manager at Lucky’s Market in Niwot, Colo, where she orchestrated social media strategy for more than 15 new store openings, strategically implemented all paid digital advertising, and taste-tested lots of tasty (and not-so-tasty) veggie chips.
These days, Josephine handles social media strategy for businesses of all sizes, as well as social media training to empower businesses to effectively handle their own social media. When she’s not hashtagging, she can be found cooking Indian food, doing yoga or watering her plants.
Her favorite healthy meal to make is a fresh arugula salad with toasted pine nuts, lemon, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
Kristine Root, Marketing and Brand Strategist
Kristine Root is a branding and marketing authority with over a decade of experience leading market research, positioning, brand development, and planning for food, beverage and wellness brands.
Kristine’s unique approach blends creativity and innovation allowing her to build holistic marketing plans that level up to business objectives and deliver measurable results. Her 14+ years of experience in marketing strategy and consumer insights is coupled with an unmistakable passion for delivering impact.
Kristine currently manages brand and marketing strategy for ROOT Marketing & PR where she designs growth marketing programs and directs strategic initiatives for the agency’s growth minded clients looking to position for market expansion.
Having held positions in the agency and brand side, Kristine understands the complexity of marketing from both perspectives. She started her career at Whitney Morse, a prominent advertising and branding agency in Minneapolis, MN where she learned the ropes of brand strategy and the value of great design. Kristine was the co-founder of Purple Bamboo, lead the 200% growth initiative for Biodentist, and served as the Director of Business Development and Marketing for The Pineapple Agency — an experiential marketing agency focused on creating raving loyal fans for clients like Noosa Yoghurt, Outdoor Industry Association, Hansen’s Soda, and Under Armor.
Kristine holds a BA in Marketing Communications from Gustavus Adolphus College and digital marketing nano degree from Udacity.
After-hours, you will find her reading cookbooks and books on marketing strategy with equal vigor. She enjoys going to the market, playing with new recipe ideas, camping, biking, skiing, and practicing soccer skills with her family.
Her favorite healthy dish to make is grilled Colorado peaches with mascarpone and fresh mint. But you may want to ask her again tomorrow, she’s always trying something new.
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