TRENDS 2025: The playbook for hospitality-driven businesses
In 2025, only the prepared will survive.
Competition among businesses remains high. Customers’ wallets are still squeezed. And the high cost of food, supplies and labor continues to strain budgets.
As hospitality-driven businesses face ongoing challenges and upcoming changes, waiting for “normal” conditions to return is no longer an option. Instead, successful operators are focusing on what they can control — nailing the fundamentals to make their businesses more resilient.
In the food and menu realm, forward-thinking businesses are finding exciting ways to differentiate themselves, draw in customers and grow retention. From bigger brunch menus to multiple happy hours, the ideas in this guide can help attract net-new customers and grow share of wallet with current ones.
Back of house, operators are reexamining their processes to supercharge their customer experiences. Businesses are getting creative with their staff training, data analyses — and even their supplier contracts.
This guide will explore a total of 10 of these ideas, divided into two sections: menu trends, followed by operational insights. You’ll also get practical tips for exploring each trend, plus opportunities where Entegra can provide expert support.
By thinking creatively and planning for ongoing change, you can lay the groundwork for success in 2025 and beyond. Let’s get started.
5 mouthwatering food and menu trends
From soothing broths to booming brunch specials, today’s customers want dishes that speak to their specific lifestyles and budgets. Keep your menu current by considering these five food and menu trends.
Value-focused specials
Increase customer spend with more affordable offerings.
The value menu’s not just for fast food anymore. Today’s diners want to get a good deal for every meal, regardless of the business or cuisine.
While specials aren’t necessarily a new tactic, more operators are leveraging them to stay ahead of stiff competition. Their logic is sound: Promotions like happy hour specials and return vouchers keep customers ordering — and coming back for more.
Capitalize on this trend
Boost profit margins by offering a happy hour with a limited food menu and a greater selection of drink specials
Consider offering multiple happy hours — for instance, from 4 to 5 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m. — to increase reach
Incentivize customer loyalty by offering vouchers for future discounts
Support from Entegra
Entegra Culinary Consulting connects you with culinary and marketing experts who’ll show you options for delicious, profitable menu items. Coupled with access to the Entegra Performance Kitchen, you’ll get product cuttings, taste tests and hands-on guidance for incorporating value offerings into your current menu.
Simple but better menuing
Reduce costs and boost efficiency with streamlined offerings.
The more complex your menu, the more likely you’ll face a wide range of potential challenges along the way. For instance: Training gaps. Poor-selling dishes. Offerings that rely on inconsistent ingredients. Not to mention an ever-worsening trend of supply chain disruptions.
That’s why operators are focusing on their core competencies. Everything else? Facing the chopping block. On top of making supply chain issues easier to manage, this simplification lets less experienced cooks and chefs make the dishes your customers crave most.
Capitalize on this trend
Take a close look at your menu. Consider which items come to mind while reading the following questions:
What isn’t selling well?
What requires ingredients that are limited in supply?
What would be most impacted by supply chain issues?
What puts an unnecessary strain on your team?
…Then be ruthless in removing or simplifying them.
Support from Entegra
Entegra experts bring an outside perspective to help you strengthen and simplify your menu. Our team acts as your supply chain liaison, helping you pivot around supply chain issues — and recommending cost-saving ingredients like pre-made stocks and pre-cut meats.
Return to comfort foods
Ease minds and stomachs with nurturing dishes.
Tariffs are in the news. Political tensions are high. When times are tough, customers gravitate toward wholesome foods and experiences — an escape from the stress of the larger world.
Operators who can provide those peaceful settings and offerings can expect major returns. It’s a simple but effective way to show customers that your business is a comfortable, inviting safe haven worth visiting again and again.
Capitalize on this trend
Emphasize creamy, velvety textures on your menu — think rich broths, soups or whipped potatoes
Incorporate soothing flavors from botanicals like chamomile, lavender and calendula
Support from Entegra
You can also emphasize healthy nutrition via ingredients like turmeric, ginger, matcha and citrus
Get clear-cut guidance on quickly and affordably adding comfortboosting dishes from our Entegra Culinary Consulting team. Our experts will show you which flavors best fit your specific menu — and how to source and prepare them in a way that nourishes your customers and boosts your bottom line.
Healthy nourishment 4
Provide dishes that speak to customers’ lifestyles.
Along with the comfort of the previous trend, today’s customers want to finish their meals feeling more than just full. They expect dishes that serve a purpose: providing nourishment that fits their lifestyles.
Leading operators are answering that call with dishes tuned to their customers’ specific aspirations. Hitting macronutrient goals, feeling fit or mingling in an exciting social scene — there’s an exciting opportunity to empower customers with a sense of productivity and community.
Capitalize on this trend
Frame your menu in terms of lifestyle goals — for instance, high-protein pancakes for the health-minded
Update your environment to match your customers’ needs. Are they wanting to lounge? Dance? Adapt accordingly.
Offer non-alcoholic beverages to provide more options for people seeking a place to socialize
Support from Entegra
Get actionable insights and practical menu advice from the Entegra Culinary Consulting team. Whether you’re looking to delight customers with ketofriendly brownies or exciting nonalcoholic cocktails, our experts can help you zero in on the kind of nourishment your customers crave — and upgrade your menu at a price you’ll appreciate.
More snacks, more breakfast
Provide convenient bites and dishes for on-the-go lifestyles.
Frequent, indulgent dinners? Out. Flexible snacks and earlier meals? In. With more customers taking weight loss drugs — and going out to eat less often — forward-thinking operators are shifting their focus to smaller bites and breakfasts.
When customers do dine out, they’re seeking brunch over dinner, and midweek breakfasts over lunches. Similarly, more customers are prioritizing snacks as outright meal replacements.
Capitalize on this trend
Grab customers’ attention with healthy, conveniently packaged snacks. Mess-free options perform best.
Hotels can sell snacks in micro markets or provide complemintary branded snacks at check-in
Consider offering breakfast and brunch specials featuring lighter dishes
Support
from Entegra
Along with breakfast, brunch and grab-and-go solutions from our Entegra Culinary Consulting team, we can connect you to a wide range of suppliers who provide sustainable, healthy snacks. We’ll even help you create customized snacks featuring your business’s branding.
5 tips for supercharging operations and experiences
The food might fill seats — but your operational decisions keep your business running smoothly, and your customers returning. From customized merch to cross-trained staff, follow these five trends to meet the demands of today’s customers.
Value-packed experiences 1
Provide add-ons with value beyond the meal.
With spending down and competition high, customers are hungry for any extra perks that help justify their spending. In turn, operators are providing dining-related add-ons to grow wallet share with their existing customers.
Those perks can vary, but many businesses are seeing success by featuring live entertainment, interior design upgrades and additional customer services.
Capitalize on this trend
Connect with musicians in your community to feature live entertainment and support local talent
Create branded merchandise to grow awareness, build customer loyalty and increase revenue
Support from Entegra
Our procurement experts can quickly connect you with the right suppliers and vendors to create quality merch, source brand-appropriate music and purchase striking décor — all at prices that make sense for your budget.
Update your setting and décor to create a distinct atmosphere and amplify your brand
�� vibes (for Gen Z)
Cater to younger crowds with tech-forward experiences.
Age alert: Gen Z is growing into their peak earning and spending years. They’re also quickly taking the lead as the demographic dining out most often.
Forward-thinking businesses are capturing younger customers’ attention — and wallet share — by creating environments where they feel at home. By considering social media and virality when planning dishes, décor and experiences, you can make your business stand out online and in person.
Capitalize on this trend
Streamline your ordering experience with the latest apps and point of sales systems
Create shareable moments — think cheese pulls and “Wish you were here” signs — and use generative AI to keep up with other social media trends
Provide fast, free WiFi allowing customers to stay connected — and share positive reviews
Support from Entegra
Connect with Entegra’s massive network of FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) providers to curate Gen Z-friendly artwork, music playlists, lighting and custom scents. Our team can even work with you to source products and solutions that follow your specific brand guidelines.
3 Win-win supplier connections
Help out your supplier — and get the best possible prices.
Hospitality-driven businesses already excel at anticipating the needs of their customers. But forward-thinking businesses are also putting themselves in the shoes of their suppliers.
Their suppliers get more reliable demand — without the cost and labor of processing the chickens and pricing the separate parts. It’s creative, collaborative contracting where everyone wins.
Capitalize on this trend
Reach out to your suppliers to see what challenges they’re facing — and how you might be able to help
Streamline your menu for simpler contracting (see food and menu tip #2 for details)
Support from Entegra
Think creatively. What are new uses for less popular ingredients?
Negotiating contracts is significantly easier when buying at scale — Entegra’s specialty. Our team of supply and contract experts know how to leverage our buying power to meet our suppliers’ needs and unlock the prices you can’t get on your own.
Flexible labor 4
Equip your team to move seamlessly from role to role.
The hospitality industry is changing. So should your approach to staffing. With labor shortages and staffing challenges on the rise, leading businesses are adapting on-demand labor, automation and more flexible, generalized training.
For instance, a cross-trained staff can work multiple areas, shifting to higher-priority tasks as needed. This also allows for more flexible scheduling, since you can simply add more generalist employees for busier nights and weekends without juggling specific roles.
Capitalize on this trend
Review your labor needs and identify which roles require specialization
For all other roles, implement cross-training or job rotation programs — creating servers who can do housekeeping, cashiers who can cook, etc.
For even simpler management, consider automation, robotics or third-party staffing support
Support from Entegra
Empower your team to accomplish more with Entegra’s temporary labor support from Trillium and Anserteam.
Go deep on data
Get full transparency into your business with digital tools.
With competition this cutthroat, intuition alone won’t cut it. Every cent and every second counts. You need the numbers to determine what’s working for your business — and where you need to pivot.
Today’s apps and software go beyond mere metrics, providing insights into your pricing, savings and inventory. The result is easier decision-making, plus more time to focus on growing your business.
Capitalize on this trend
Use online surveys or in-store devices to collect customer feedback and real-time ratings
Simplify your purchasing with a tool that allows you to see all your orders from one dashboard
Maximize your savings with software that reveals new opportunities as well as invoice discrepancies
Support from Entegra
Entegra makes it easy to take control of your purchasing journey with data that drives your business forward. We designed our platform to empower hospitality-driven businesses with meaningful data, actionable insights and timely decision-making support. Together with AI-powered Entegra Shopping Assistant, you get full visibility into every stage of the buying process.
Keep your business ahead of the curve with Entegra
With deep expertise in hospitality-driven industries, Entegra works closely with businesses to make their menus irresistible and their operations running at peak efficiency.
Save up to 30%* on food, linens, flatware, uniforms, furniture, music and more
Tap into Entegra Culinary Consulting for product cuttings, focus groups and menu ideation
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