Yelp’s 2025 Food and Drink Trends: Hawaiian Cuisine, Wellness Beverages, and Experiential Dining on the Rise

Yelp, a popular platform for crowd-sourced reviews and recommendations, regularly publishes reports that provide insights into consumer trends across various industries. These insights are particularly relevant for stakeholders in the food and beverage industry-suppliers, restaurateurs, and marketers-highlighting potential opportunities. Yelp's 2025 Food and Drink Trends report presents emerging culinary and beverage preferences in the United States (US), reflecting consumer behaviors and cultural influences. Derived from extensive data analysis of search patterns between 2023 and 2024, this forecast highlights key trends poised to shape the dining landscape in the coming year.

One of the most prominent trends is the rise of Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. Dishes such as kalua pig and Hawaiian macaroni salad are gaining traction on US mainland menus, with searches for Hawaiian barbecue increasing by 88% Year-over-year (YoY) and Hawaiian mac salad by an impressive 523% YoY in 2024.

Another significant trend is the integration of functional mushrooms into beverages. Adaptogenic mushrooms are being incorporated into coffee and shakes, with searches for mushroom drinks up by 501%. Known for their health benefits, adaptogenic mushrooms present a broader consumer shift toward wellness-oriented products, creating a market for suppliers of functional ingredients and innovative beverage concepts.

Another creative idea of "burnaway cakes" has captured consumer attention, with searches for these celebratory cakes skyrocketing by 12,276% YoY on Yelp platform. Exemplifying the growing demand for experiential and visually engaging food items, these cakes reveal hidden messages or images when lit. Bakeries and suppliers of specialty cake ingredients should take advantage of growing demand to cater to this niche market.

Picture 1. Burnaway Cake Example

Source: 160 Degrees

Private dining and group gatherings are also experiencing a resurgence, particularly among younger demographics. Searches for private room dining have increased by 6,531%, while interest in large group restaurants has risen by 1,461%. This trend highlights a renewed focus on community and social dining experiences, suggesting opportunities for restaurants to invest in private spaces and tailored group menus.

In the beverage sector, international coffee flavors are gaining popularity. Searches for Viennese einspänner coffee have surged by 1,145%, alongside growing interest in mojito coffee and Vietnamese coconut coffee. This shows an appetite for unique and globally inspired coffee experiences, creating opportunities for coffee suppliers and roasters to diversify their offerings.

Picture 2. Einspänner Viennese Coffee

Source: Frances

Overall, Yelp's 2025 trends showcase a need for authenticity, wellness, and experiential dining among the food and beverage product segments. These insights may prove valuable for industry players seeking to align their strategies with emerging consumer preferences. Rising trends, identified through Yelp’s extensive data analysis of search patterns from 2023 to 2024, highlight the evolving landscape of the food and beverage industry in the US. Businesses across the food supply chain can leverage these insights to innovate, cater to emerging consumer preferences, and drive growth in 2025.