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Towers create an immediate visual impact, bringing a sense of abundance and occasion to the table. They’re fun, a little unexpected, and highly photogenic, making them particularly popular on social media. They’re also well suited to groups, turning a simple order into a shared experience.

A tower can be positioned as an extravagant splurge or an affordable, high-value offering. Towers can make familiar, everyday foods feel special, create a sense of celebration, and turn something as simple as ordering a few dishes to share into an event. From cocktails to hot dogs, read on for inspiration for your next “gotta have” menu item.”

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In hospitality, Halloween used to mean little more than some fall-inspired decor in the lobby and a spooky cocktail or a pumpkin flavored dish added to the menus. Today, hotels are increasingly treating October with the same immersive theatrics traditionally reserved for December’s winter wonderland activations.

The shift is supported by a pronounced change in traveler tastes, with 65% of all travelers surveyed—and 71% of Gen Z and millennials–expressing interest in booking properties with a “Gothic aesthetic” (Hotels.com).

This historic, moody, and sometimes macabre style signals authority, craft, and nostalgia for younger generations who are looking for an escape from the cookie-cutter, sanitized luxury aesthetic that has been pervasive in newer hotels since the 2010s. The appeal is equally compelling for operators looking to fill a historically slower period between summer travel and the holiday season.

Here are some of our favorite examples of how hotels across the country have embraced spooky season, and turned their property into a destination for Halloween lovers.

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The word pupu is derived from the native Hawaiian word pū-pū meaning shell or mollusk, which became used to refer to small bites or appetizers. The dish’s origins are debated—with some crediting Don the Beachcomber in Los Angeles, and others Trader Vic’s in San Francisco. Both spots were fixtures of midcentury American tiki-culture, with roots that began in the 1930s. The dish began popping up on menus in the 1950s, and later became a signature at American-Chinese restaurants across the country.

The pupu platter is a quintessential app sampler that traditionally consists of a mix of items like spare ribs, chicken wings, egg rolls, fried wontons, crab rangoon, skewered beef, and fried shrimp. They’re served in compartments on a circular wooden tray, with a mini hibachi in the center to “grill” (reheat) the skewers.

Why is ideal for this moment? It’s a vehicle for trying a variety of dishes; the small grill adds an interactive element; and the presentation was made for social media. The items and flavors can be adapted for different concepts.

Read on for examples from around the country of restaurants putting their own spin on the beloved classic.

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TikTok Wants a Bite of Your Lunch

From incentivizing and promoting reviews of local restaurants to new features coming to the platform, the social media giant has quietly been getting more serious about the restaurant game.

One example, the “lunch in my city” trend that’s been bubbling up over the last few months, is fairly self explanatory. Users are delegating their decision making to the algorithm in order to discover new spots to eat. To participate, simply search “lunch in my city,” click on the first video that comes up, and give the restaurant a try! (TikTok can usually determine your location to show local results; if not, replace ‘my city’ with your city name).

The appeal is easy to understand: fewer options to debate, a reason to break your usual lunch routine, a chance to support a smaller local business, and a ready-made video if you decide to document it. There’s also something adventurous and impromptu about the trend. You’re not deciding, you’re throwing it to fate. It’s a low commitment mystery trip.

What’s more interesting is that TikTok is carving a piece out of the restaurant space. In August, they quietly dropped their TikTok GO Dining program which allows select restaurants to sell dining vouchers straight on the app that users can simply scan to redeem in-store.

Or as the millennial / Gen X members of our team put it: TikTok has essentially created their own version of Groupon. While the program is currently invite only for a small group of restaurants, if it goes well we expect to see it expand.

Capitalizing on the “lunch in my city” trend, in September TikTok also began running incentives for creators to post reviews of local restaurants called the #CityTasteTest challenge, offering NYC and LA based creators a chance to win monetary prizes and additional promotion in the app.

The “lunch in my city” trend has already racked up hundreds of millions of views, and has become a global trend from NYC to London to Sydney. (Food & Wine even covered it).

Restaurants can capitalize on TikTok’s push into dining by creating a business account on the platform, and using specific and local keywords in their post captions including location, cuisine type, and key dining occasions. While TikTok might be a small player in the restaurant booking space right now, the platform is quickly working to become a local discovery engine.

From the FYP to NHL Stadium Menu

Many viral food trends have a way of turning strange, impractical, and outrageous combinations into items that spark curiosity, word of mouth, and ultimately, trial. The New York Islanders’ stadium just announced a new lineup of menu items that feel like they’re pulled straight from the depths of our FYP. These over-the-top food items are incredibly shareable on social and make gameday concessions that much more fun.

Nerds Gummy Cluster Brie Grilled Cheese: This combination went viral in 2025 with a TikTok by @mitskialtieri and was further popularized by professional cheesemonger @cheezytalkwithmadelyn.

Uncrustable Pulled Pork Tostada: Crustless PB&J’s and other sealed sandwiches have had a big moment this year—from news of their popularity among NFL players, to a swath of better-for-you dupes hitting freezer shelves. This recipe deep fries the PB&J and tops it with pulled pork, chopped peanuts, grape jelly barbecue sauce and scallions.

Baseball fans may remember when the Kansas City Royals’ stadium introduced a Peanut Butter Cup Pulled Pork Sandwich that went viral for the wild combination in 2022.

Other trending foods and formats include a Burrata Tater Tot Boat, Crab Rangoon Toast, Ice Cream Nachos, and an over-the-top, two-foot-long, Chicken Parmesan-inspired Stromboli! Read the whole menu in the NHL’s announcement for even more interesting combinations.

Restaurants v.s. AI

For restaurants, using AI food images might save on the cost of a photoshoot, but it can also cost your reputation. Some restaurant owners have been learning this the hard way as their AI signage has become the subject of public shaming.

Despite further enhancements to the technology, 2026 has provided a wide array of viral examples of AI food photos making consumers feel a sense of discomfort, distrust, and outright disgust.

More than ever, consumers dislike the idea of AI images being used to market a product. A study of 241 consumers concluded that AI images “significantly reduce consumers’ perceptions of value and increase their negative [word of mouth]” British Food Journal. The backlash isn’t just online. Taken to the extreme, a San Francisco cafe was vandalized with graffiti after placing a large AI menu in their window.

We warned of backlash against AI food imagery back in June 2025:

For smaller restaurant owners looking to do more with less, replacing an expensive photoshoot with AI can sound tempting. In reality, consumers can tell when food doesn’t look quite right. AI-generated food images often fall into the “uncanny valley,” triggering a sense of unease or disgust because they are almost, but not quite, fully life-like.

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Now, a wave of restaurants are participating in a viral trend committing to not use AI in their content.

The posts include a handwritten note on a piece of paper, showcasing the humans behind the restaurant and signaling to their audience that they’re on the same page.

There have also been variations on the trend, showcasing behind the scenes content and mistakes that only a human can make.

The takeaway for restaurants? Show the food you actually serve and the people who make it. A cook finishing a plate, a server sharing a favorite order, or a slightly imperfect shot of tonight’s special gives guests something real to connect with.

Last year in our Hospitality Trends Report, we called banana coffee drinks a growing trend to watch.

Sure enough, banana-flavor in coffee was everywhere in 2026. Starbucks introduced the Iced Banana Bread Matcha Latte in February 2026, following it with the Iced Banana Bread Chai in August. Dunkin’ introduced a whole lineup of Banana-flavored beverages. Even a nearly 40-year old traditional San Francisco neighborhood coffee shop had a sandwich board on the sidewalk advertising their Banana Bread Latte.

In July, the overwhelming prevalence led The New York Times to say, “Everything’s Bananas,” and wondering if bananas could be the next pumpkin spice.

Have we reached peak Banana? Or is there still more opportunity in categories where banana is an unexpected flavor or ingredient.

Banana Water

Bananas, a relatively starchy, low-water content fruit, are now showing up in the latest all-natural sports drink alternatives.

Banagua launched midway through 2025 on retail shelves. They quickly scaled, with distribution in major supermarkets including Kroger and Vons, and were named the Best New Brand by Beverage Digest.

Made from two organic heirloom varieties of Thai Bananas, and with no added sugars or preservatives, the company touts the drinks’ high levels of electrolytes, antioxidants, and nutrients, offering an energy drink made from only natural ingredients. They also are certified organic and non-GMO.

Woodstock Foods also makes an organic banana water with similar characteristics and claims.

A Little Sweet Treat

Koké (New York, NY) is a new Japanese plant-based, gluten-free cafe and bakery that opened in New York this year from the team behind Patisserie Fouet. The menu includes flavored matcha and hojicha drinks, mochi cookies, gluten-free salt bread, and rotating soft serve, including their viral black sesame. The Caramelized Banana Matcha has become a signature. They even partnered with Glow Recipe for a collab featuring the Caramelized Banana Milk Latte (made with espresso or matcha) offered with a skin care pouch featuring Glow Recipe’s Banana Milk moisturizing cream and lip balm, leveraging the wide appeal of banana milk across different categories.

While the black sesame soft serve is a constant on the menu, Koké recently introduced a banana soft serve, which guests can top with miso caramel, rice puffs, sesame chocolate sauce, pistachio, or banana chips.

Healthy Indulgence

Bananas have long been the backbone for smoothies, but they are finding new form and function in the soft-frozen category.

Frozen banana “soft serve” sits at the intersection of smoothies and frozen yogurt, offering an all natural, non-dairy frozen dessert. Although the technology for creating a soft-frozen product made from bananas has been around for a while, only a few concepts have come out of it, so far.

Banán (2 locations Honolulu, HI, 1 location San Francisco, CA) offers a menu of banana-based soft serve, as well as açaí bowls, composed sundaes, and smoothies. Flavors of banana-based soft serve include: banana, chocolate, peanut butter, strawberry passionfruit, and açaí; each made with no added sugar, no dairy, and only healthy, wholesome ingredients. Limited seasonal flavors have included mango or pumpkin spice.

Composed sundaes include the seasonal Uncle’s Mango with mango banán, dragonfruit drizzle, papaya, pineapple, and sliced banana which feels one step away from a virtuous açaí bowl, while the like the Chocolate Brownie Bowl with chocolate banán, whipped coconut cream, shaved coconut and chewy brownie bites definitely feels like health-coded indulgence.

Across the country, other places or leveraging similar technology in different ways. Just Bananas sells Banana Whip at rotating farmers markets in and around Carlsbad, CA. Frozen bananas go through a special masticating juicer to create a creamy, ice-cream like consistency made entirely out of banana. Customers can opt for toppings like chocolate or peanut butter shell, fresh strawberries, raspberry sauce, granola or shredded coconut. Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery (Brooklyn, NY) sells highly instagrammable Banana Whip in a rainbow of colors and flavors including: matcha, blue spirulina, guava, dragon fruit, mango, pineapple, strawberry and more. Each vibrant layer stands out.

Backed by $2 million in pre-seed funding, Maggie’s is the brainchild of Alex Canter, a fourth-generation member of the Canter’s Deli family. Canter told Andrew Zucker that Maggie’s draws inspiration from Italy’s Autogrills and Japanese convenience stores, which have become culinary destinations with devoted followings.

Maggie’s has ambitious plans for its food and beverage program: a counter-service menu featuring coffee, lattes on draft, matcha, locally sourced pastries and elevated soft serve, alongside a market stocked with global snacks and products from beloved local restaurants and bakeries. Exclusive collaborations with L.A. favorites are also in the works, though no partners have been announced.

If the first location succeeds, the company plans to expand across Los Angeles before entering other West Coast markets, according to Los Angeles Magazine.

Could Maggie’s be the clearest sign yet that gas stations are becoming a true restaurant competitor?

The Next Generation Is Building Food Brands, Not Gas Stations

Long before “nice gas stations” became a trend, Wawa, Sheetz, Buc-ee’s, Dash In and High’s were turning fuel stops into food destinations. These experiences are highly intentional, with each brand cultivating an unmistakable personality. Extensive food offerings—including made-to-order menus at Wawa and Sheetz—have helped build fiercely loyal followings and prove that high quality food offerings drive traffic.

The business case is clear: Foodservice accounts for nearly 30% of convenience-store sales and 40% of profits industrywide, and more than half of revenue at Wawa and Sheetz.*

Now emerging and fast-growing brands are raising the stakes. TXB is building “restaurant-style convenience stores” around made-to-order tacos, hand-breaded chicken and a strong Texas identity. Alltown Fresh combines chef-prepared meals and specialty coffee with curated local products and inviting places to sit, while Wally’s turns the highway stop into a full-scale food and retail destination with a carving station, gourmet coffee bar, jerky counter, fresh popcorn and sweets.

These concepts aren’t simply building better convenience stores. They’re creating distinctive food brands that increasingly compete with restaurants.

The EV-Charging Destination

Filling a gas tank takes a few minutes; charging an electric vehicle creates a longer window that can be filled with food, entertainment and retail.

Tesla leaned into the opportunity with Tesla Diner, which finally opened in Hollywood last year after being announced more than seven years ago. The theatrical concept combines roughly 75 Superchargers with two movie screens, in-car ordering, a rooftop terrace and an evolving menu of diner classics, including the Tesla Burger, hot dog, grilled cheese, tuna melt and fried chicken sandwich, alongside fries, pies, and shakes.

For now, it remains a one-off. Tesla has not announced additional locations.

Rove offers a more practical model in Southern California, pairing 40 fast chargers with a lounge, car wash and ReCharge by Gelson’s, a compact market from the upscale Southern California grocer. Guests can pick up chef-crafted meals ranging from sushi, sandwiches and wraps to salads, cheese and charcuterie plates; browse a curated selection of premium groceries and everyday essentials; or attend one of Gelson’s occasional grill-out events.

*Source: Restaurant Business Online

The origins of the format are unknown—some say a a chef dropped a roll in broth, while others say it began to mask stale bread, or that guest with sore gums requested it—it resonates in today’s experiential dining era, where diners enjoy interacting with their food and customizing each bite. The act of simply dunking a sandwich also offers the mandatory visual appeal and action that suits itself so well to tiktoks and instagram reels.

Despite the reason, the original sandwich was simply sliced meat and a roll with the bread dipped in a well seasoned broth. It did not include cheese. There is also reason to believe that the very first French Dip might have actually been made with pork and not beef, this comes down to which restaurant was first. But needless to say, while many alterations have occurred over the years, the addition of cheese and horseradish being the most common, the sandwich has come to clearly denote a roast beef sandwich with jus on the side.

While the sandwich may have felt uninspired and tired not so long ago, today’s versions are generating excitement, drawing incredibly long lines and impossible-to-get reservations. Many of them also boast completely original takes with not-so-familiar flavors.

For your own inspiration, we’ve collected our favorites organized from the most traditional to the least.

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There was a time around 20 some years ago when seemingly every new restaurant was doing small plates. The trend never really died; if anything, it became a cliché. Back as far as 2015 Eater shared a video (from CollegeHumor) “Everything Wrong with Trendy Restaurants”—it starts with small plates, and all too accurately portrays the experience in many restaurants, exaggerated just slightly for comic effect.

Yet small plates remain just as popular today, going by many monikers—most commonly now “bites,” but also “snacks” and “shareables”—the latter not to be confused with large-format main dishes designed for several people. 🤔

As much as some make fun of small plates, multiple forces are making them increasingly attractive to guests and operators alike. The plates may be small, but they offer outsized opportunities to drive both traffic and revenue. Shifting appetites, changing perceptions of value, and consumers’ appetite for discovery give them more reason than ever to endure. Operators just need to remove the friction that gives diners reason to skewer them.

GLP-1s: A Growing Case for Smaller Portions

Thanks to the prevalence of GLP-1 drugs, small plates are more relevant than ever. According to Gallup, an estimated 11% of U.S. adults are currently taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss. That is over 10% of the adult population that is actively eating dramatically less. (And this number is likely to grow with increased access and pill formats.) This sizable group is still going out to eat, but they’re eating and ordering differently.

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Wine at Maayan’s soft opened in SoHo in July and immediately attracted our attention. Maayan’s combines the self-selection of retail with the hospitality and presentation of a wine bar. It’s simple, but it rethinks the traditional restaurant model—from pricing and service, to merchandising. It also creates a place where younger people are excited to go and drink wine.

Read on to discover why it works and how it’s meeting this particular moment.

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If you’ve been paying attention to any restaurant CEO’s latest earnings calls, you’ve heard the term “cultural relevance” about a million times. It’s the industry’s new favorite buzzword and Restaurant Business recently declared that Cultural Relevance Has Become the Restaurant Industry’s New North Star.

As we cruise through the rest of 2026, it’s worth a closer look. Is this just brands chasing the latest viral sensation, or is something deeper happening?

True relevance isn’t about jumping on every fleeting trend. It’s about being rooted in a clear brand identity and guided by a genuine desire to read the room, join the chat, and build a craving that keeps guests coming back for more.

What Is “Cultural Relevance” Anyway?

It sounds cute, but how does it actually look in the real world? It usually boils down to four things:

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The best desserts don’t just satisfy a sweet tooth—they create a moment of engagement. And few desserts manage to capture guests as easily as a build-your-own sundae.

Ice cream, a few sauces, a handful of toppings, and suddenly a relatively simple dessert becomes interactive, customizable, nostalgic, fun, and highly shareable. Guests get to create their own ideal version—more sauce, less crunch, extra cherries, no rules. It’s the kind of thing that when guests see it arrive at the next table they immediately think, I need that.

DIY sundaes are a relatively low-lift idea capable of delivering an outsized impression, and the format can be as simple or elaborate as the concept demands. Some restaurants go all-in with rolling sundae carts, vintage glass jars, and ceremonious tableside assembly. Others keep it streamlined with a platter of toppings guests can pile on themselves. If you don’t have a pastry chef, embracing childhood nostalgia with an array of colorful store-bought candies, cookies, and classic ice cream flavors can be a great option. If you do have pastry talent on-hand, they can create custom ice cream or soft serve flavors reflective of the restaurant concept, along with toppings like house-made sprinkles or unique sauces.

Better yet, the formula is endlessly adaptable. Flavors and toppings can rotate with the seasons, reflect the restaurant’s culinary point of view, or create an easy platform for collaborations and limited-time specials. The sundae itself may be simple, but the possibilities are far reaching.

From polished tableside trolleys to playful DIY platters, here are a few of our favorite sundae experiences from across the country to spark a little inspiration.

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After years of maximalist cocktails and spirit-forward drinks, guests are gravitating toward beverages that feel lighter, brighter, and built for lingering afternoons rather than late nights. Lower-ABV cocktails continue to gain momentum and spritzes have officially hit the mainstream, now morphing into multiple variations. Aperol not included—at least not where you think!

For operators, that’s good news. Many of this summer’s biggest drinks are easy to execute, encourage repeat ordering, and make great seasonal features.

Here are six drinks defining summer right now.

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Or watch the video as Andrew Freeman, Candace MacDonald, and Leith Steel sat down to review the hits and the misses from this year’s report, along with some personal takes and some predictions for the future.

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Keeping up with food trends used to mean dining out. Today, it also means spending an alarming amount of time watching strangers eat in their cars, chop pickles, and enthusiastically explain why this recipe or that product is going to change your life.

At Carbonate, we keep one eye on restaurant menus and the other firmly glued to social media, looking for the ideas that have the potential to evolve from viral curiosity into menu innovation with staying power. Will “Girl Dinner” please go away? Will dot cakes be the next Dubai Chocolate? No, but…

Sandwiched between the Banana Bread Lattes and swirly cinnamon rolls, other viral food and drink trends are emerging and taking over our social media feeds.

Here are some of the top viral trends we’re seeing online so far this year.

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Today, however, that model is under pressure.

According to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2026 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report, tasting room visitation continues to decline, while wine club membership is shrinking. Report author Rob McMillan argues that the model “was built for a different consumer generation” and cautions wineries against “doubling down on a diminishing opportunity.” Instead, he suggests wineries begin searching for a “second act”—new ways to reach consumers beyond the tasting room.

While off-premise events still represent a relatively small share of sales, they’re becoming an increasingly important customer acquisition strategy. The report found that high-performing wineries are taking their brands into the market through traveling tastings, community events, and intimate experiences designed to build relationships beyond the tasting room.

Rather than asking, “how do we get more people to the winery?” wineries may need to start asking, “how do we bring the winery to more people?”

Borrow Existing Audiences

1. Show your style with fashion or jewelry trunk shows

Partner with a luxury boutique or jewelry store to sponsor or host a trunk show. Have the store promote the event to their top clients, and bring the wine for people to enjoy while they shop.

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Across New York City, a new generation of frozen yogurt shops are attracting lines that stretch down the block, with wait times of over an hour. Brands like Myka, Mimi’s, Madison Fare, Go Greek, and Birdie’s are transforming froyo from a diet dessert into a lifestyle product, pairing tart Greek yogurt with globally inspired toppings, design-forward interiors, and premium positioning more reminiscent of a specialty coffee shop than a suburban strip mall dessert chain.

The current buzz may be centered in New York, but all signs point to frozen yogurt soon becoming a nationwide obsession.

For hospitality brands looking for the next platform for creativity, collaboration, and incremental revenue, frozen yogurt isn’t just a dessert trend—it’s a strategic opportunity.

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Six months into the year, some forecasts have accelerated faster than we anticipated, others have taken unexpected turns, and a few simply haven’t materialized—at least not yet!

Read on for the hits and the misses. And if interested in seeing the full report, we’re offering 50% off our 2026 Hospitality Trends Report. Use the code HALFWAYTHERE.

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