• Mintel’s 2026 global food and drink predictions include protein-packed ingredients, multi-sensory menu items, and a focus on nostalgia and familiarity.
• Social media feeds are full of foods and ingredients like Japanese sandwiches, hot honey, pistachios, and miso, showcasing the popularity of different Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, as well as sweet and spicy combinations.
• Cafés are finding it harder to squeeze profits from coffee alone, so they are increasingly turning to food; however, they need to prioritise simplicity and quality over quantity.
• Blindly following food trends won’t lead to success, especially as fads like Dubai chocolate increasingly fall out of fashion.

Coffee and food have always gone hand in hand, and for many café owners, the recipe for success lies in curating a menu that is diverse yet simple.

Just like coffee, food evolves with trends. Customers today expect not only innovative flavour combinations but also the comfort of nostalgia. Pairing modern, trending creations with familiar staples creates a balanced menu that coincides with a focus on high-quality coffee.

Now more than ever, as margins run thin, coffee shop owners need to keep a close eye on their food offerings. Simple, quality ingredients and careful, efficient preparation will be essential to future success.

Peter Dore-Smith of Kaffeine and Zsuzsa Kerekes of Madal Café discuss the food trends that coffee shops can follow in 2026.

You may also like our article on pairing food with specialty coffee around the world.

Coffee shops hike prices, but margins still run thin

Running a coffee shop today is more complicated than ever. Green coffee prices continue to remain high and volatile, operating costs are skyrocketing, and more people are opting to brew their own coffee at home.

“Due to the general unfavourable economic climate and constantly rising prices, people have less available income to spend,” says Zsuzsa, the manager of Madal Café in Budapest, Hungary. “They are more price sensitive, more focused on price-quality ratio, and generally consume less.”

As coffee shops face mounting pressure on their margins, many have raised their prices. However, selling coffee and drinks alone often doesn’t suffice.

“You need to increase your spend per head or transaction, and you can only do this by increasing your food sales and offering a wider range of products,” says Peter, the founder and director of Kaffeine in London, UK.

Coffee is surprisingly unprofitable once rent, operational costs, packaging, and wages are factored in. Drinks may retail at US$5, but the actual cost of coffee per cup is very little compared to labour expenses.

Food, meanwhile, can be marked up substantially. Options like sandwiches and salads are cost-effective, as the ingredients can be purchased in bulk, preparation is straightforward, and customers are willing to pay a premium for grab-and-go options.

“In this climate, a basic selection of baked goods isn’t enough incentive to attract customers and encourage them to spend more,” Zsuzsa says. “They can buy similar quality items from any supermarket or bakery at lower prices.

“Customers want the option not only to get a coffee but also to enjoy breakfast or a light lunch,” she adds. “Having a creative menu may result in a larger average consumer spend and more frequent visits.”

Dishes like breakfast toasts, homemade ferments, smoked salmon bagels, and poached eggs are classic menu items that customers will always gravitate towards. 

“We have always had a weekly changing lunch menu where we change the salads, quiche, and filled brioche each week,” Peter explains. “Our customers are coming for food as well as coffee.”

Remaining cautious when following trends

Since the rise of Instagram and TikTok, many popular food trends have captured the attention of consumers worldwide, prompting coffee shops to incorporate some of them into their menu offerings.

Dubai chocolate, dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as the “next pumpkin spice”, is the most obvious example. The pistachio, tahini, and kataifi (or kadayif) pastry-filled chocolate bar became a viral global sensation in late 2023. Its sweet-slightly savoury flavour combination, palpable crunch, and paint-splattered appearance tap into the explosive demand for multi-sensory food experiences.

Coffee shops are jumping on the trend, crafting Dubai chocolate lattes, matcha drinks, and croissants that appeal to customers seeking indulgence and luxury.

However, following food trends that appear on social media, which often last only a few months before fading into obscurity, isn’t a wise business strategy. Already causing global supply shortages of pistachios, the Dubai chocolate trend is quickly becoming overpopularised, and interest is likely to start waning as more products flood the market.

“For the most part, social media trends are transient, and it is more important that a business develops its own set of values and follows them,” Zsuzsa says. 

Flat whites and cappuccinos served in croissants, once a popular social media trend, are a case in point. Although visually appealing, these trending menu items lack practicality, rendering them mere marketing gimmicks once customers have them in hand.

“Jumping on a viral trend isn’t a good idea for a business, as it will soon fade away and leave you with nothing,” Peter says. 

If coffee shops fail to deliver on their promise of high-quality products, they risk undermining their authenticity – a critical aspect of specialty coffee.

“The most important thing is to be incredibly consistent in your offerings, the quality of your product, and with a fair and reasonable pricing structure so that people keep coming back,” Peter adds.

Which food trends should coffee shops look out for in 2026?

The ability to keep up with food trends can set one coffee shop apart from another; however, blindly following them won’t lead to lasting success. Instead, café operators and baristas need to understand which ones will work for their business and customers.

Looking more broadly at how consumer preferences are shifting is a useful starting point.

“Consumers are becoming more and more conscious regarding their health and the impact they have on the environment,” says Zsuzsa. “They also put more emphasis on good quality, fair trade, and quality ingredients.”

The US$4.5 trillion global wellness economy is growing twice as fast as the global economy. According to Ogilvy, 73% of global consumers considered wellness an essential element of a brand’s strategy in 2020 – including food and beverage products.

While this growing demand has given way to the functional coffee market, there has also been a rising interest in high-protein, gut-friendly, and minimally processed ingredients. Foods like cottage cheese, fat-free Greek yoghurt, and kimchi are now commonly seen on “FitTok” – a corner of TikTok that features workout plans, recipes, and other fitness-related content, which has garnered more than 64 billion views.

But at the same time, indulgence and familiarity haven’t disappeared. Comforting, rich, and decadent food items – such as banana pudding (popularised by Magnolia Bakery in New York City), cereal milk, and birthday cake – continue to draw in customers, often with a nostalgic or innovative twist.

Umami-forward and spicy-sweet flavour combinations are gaining popularity, drawing inspiration from diverse Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Miso caramel, hot honey, tahini, and black sesame are increasingly found in baked goods or incorporated into savoury dishes, offering more complex flavour notes and tapping into globalised food trends.

How coffee shops can develop their food menus and make a profit

Developing a food menu that is both attractive and cost-efficient, while maintaining a balanced approach, can be challenging – especially one that sets you apart from competitors.

“To develop an interesting food menu, first you need the vision from the owners and senior management, then employ the right people to be able to execute that vision and bring it to reality, and continue to support them as they continue to develop it,” Peter explains. 

“Simplicity is key across all menus, so you should start there and work your way up,” he adds. 

This means focusing on simple yet high-quality ingredients. Offering a straightforward toast menu, including both sweet and savory options, can be one of the most profitable ways to follow food trends. 

Sourcing bread from local suppliers and including menu items like whipped ricotta and hot honey, almond butter and raspberry jam, and miso-braised mushrooms allows café operators to use simple, minimal ingredients – keeping costs down while also elevating menus.

“Simplicity is often undervalued,” says Zsuzsa. “A high-quality, simple toast menu is better than having something too elaborate that you can’t execute correctly and consistently.

“You might not satisfy every demand, but well-curated and good-quality food selections are enough to get your customers to spend more and frequent your coffee shop more often.”

Japanese sandos – made using milk bread (or shokupan) and a variety of simple ingredients – have become a recent viral social media trend, also appearing on more supermarket shelves.

Fillings traditionally include tamago (a mixture of mashed hard-boiled eggs and Japanese mayonnaise), katsu (breaded pork or chicken cutlets, usually served with a slaw), and strawberry and sweetened whipped cream. The use of minimal ingredients enables coffee shops to quickly batch prepare food in advance, while also offering consistently visually appealing options that appeal to consumers seeking variety.

Following food trends should enhance the coffee experience, not detract from it. Simple, high-quality menu items that tap into popular flavour combinations ensure that café operators can manage costs, draw intrigue, and offer consistency.

Ultimately, the goal is to encourage customers to add “just one more thing” to their order, helping coffee shops manage their bottom lines and diversify revenue.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how to choose food and snacks for your coffee shop.

Perfect Daily Grind

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