Let's Chat Snacks

On Course for Success: Pleasing Gen Z Palates at Colleges and Universities

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:28:46 GMT

Protein Smoothie made with NUTTER BUTTER Cookies

Gen Z is giving college and university away-from-home operators a lot to think about. In fact, they’re reshaping campus dining expectations in a complex and increasingly competitive landscape.

While operator spend in the C&U segment is expected to reach $10.3 billion in 2026, real growth is forecasted to drop by 5% in both 2026 and 2027 under the impact of demographic shifts, evolving learning formats and changing consumption behaviors.¹

As a result, understanding what today’s students want to eat and how they want to eat it is critical to feeding the bottom line.

Pour On the Profits: 4 Dessert Beverage Trends to Watch

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 20:38:24 GMT

Frozen Hot Chocolate made with OREO Cookie Pieces

Dessert beverages serve double duty as a perfect treat any time of the day. Today’s consumers are thirsty for beverages that feel unique and fun. That’s why sweet beverages are becoming one of foodservice’s strongest growth drivers.¹ The payoff for operators? High margins, easy execution and guests willing to splurge on something memorable.

From creative dirty sodas to candy-laden milkshakes, playful spins on cold foam and frozen drinks inspired by classic desserts, operators are stirring up new ways to turn everyday occasions into celebratory moments and extra revenue.¹

Embracing the Sweet Spot: How Nostalgia Is Reshaping Food & Beverage Trends

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:36:37 GMT

Nostalgia is more than a feeling. It’s fast becoming one of the most powerful forces shaping food and beverage innovation. From reimagined desserts to candy-flavored beverages, U.S. consumers are gravitating toward flavors and formats that transport them back in time, with just enough modern flair to keep things exciting.

Today’s culinary nostalgia goes well beyond throwback aesthetics. It taps into emotion, comfort, and memory, while offering restaurants and foodservice operators ample room to innovate.

Sweet Success: How to Take Advantage of 4 LTO Dessert Trends

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:30:36 GMT

Dessert isn’t just a cherry on top of a check average; with the right menu planning, it can be an especially sweet sales driver. In fact, as the most prolific LTO category across restaurant segments, with 671 introductions last year alone,¹ dessert is the limited-time offer with unlimited potential.

A World of Opportunity: Make Ice Cream Desserts Hot Sellers With Global Flavors

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:54:35 GMT

No pairing is sweeter or more satisfying than summer and ice cream. As the temperature rises, every restaurant operator who gives a lick about boosting summer sales is sure to add ice-cream-based desserts to the menu — the more refreshingly distinctive, the better to stand out in the blur of frozen treats.

Fall Menu Forecast: Sky’s the Limit for a Cornucopia of Flavors

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:02:19 GMT

Every season brings its changes — to the weather and the menu. As autumn approaches, we can count on leaves to drop and demand for fall flavors to rise with pumpkin, maple, caramel and other flavors typically found on menus this time of year.

Fact is, 65% of consumers associate the fall season with special flavors, dishes, beverages and limited-time offers from restaurants.¹And with nearly 60% hungry for limited-edition fall retail items and restaurant specials,¹ maximizing your autumn menu mix is table stakes.

Keep Cool: The Scoop on Meeting Hot Demand for Summer Specials

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Mon, 19 May 2025 20:07:31 GMT

With the official start to summer around the corner, it's time for a temperature check of what consumers hope to see on the menu. An informed summer menu mix could help you get on a hot streak of sales.

Fact is, 53% of consumers associate the summer season with special flavors, dishes, beverages and limited-time offers, according to the market research firm Datassential.¹ And nearly 60% are interested in purchasing restaurant specials and LTOs in the summer.¹

Table Stakes: 5 Ways Branded Ingredients Can Help Serve Up More Sales

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Thu, 08 May 2025 20:53:41 GMT

Brand-name snacks are a big deal. In fact, 80% of global consumers surveyed say they’ve been loyal to certain snack brands for a long time.¹

Cool Ideas: A Fresh Take on Frozen Treats for Summer Menus

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:47:00 GMT

Frozen desserts are hot sellers, and they’re projectedto blaze a trail from an estimated market size of $97.80 billion in 2024 to $119.85 billion in 2029, according to the international market research and analysis company Mordor Intelligence.¹

6 Fun Ways to Use OREO on Your Menu – Perfect for Any Celebration

info@letschatsnacks.com (Let's Chat Snacks) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:15:31 GMT

Ever since the first OREO Cookie was created in 1912 at a Chelsea Market bakery in Manhattan, OREO has delighted generations of snack and dessert lovers with the world’s most twistable, lickable, dunkable and downright scrumptious cookie.