Rubix Foods Unveils Gen Z Flavor Trends Report Backed By Social Insights

Hot takes on ranch, pickle, the next "swicy" and more: Gen Z told their favorite food-fluencers what they want to see on restaurant menus in 2025

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rubix Foods, a culinary innovation specialist in providing flavor and functional ingredients for restaurants, announces the release of The NEXT Flavor Report. This first-of-its-kind flavor insights report combines proprietary data, third-party research and exclusive findings from Rubix's NEXT Flavor Network—a collective of three influential taste-making social media creators with Gen Z audiences—to unveil the flavor trends that will shape restaurant menus in 2025. Read the full report at https://rubixfoods.com/the-gen-z-report/.

Some of the revelations in The NEXT Flavor Report include:

• Gen Z says ranch is overrated, with a catch.

○ When provided with an open-ended question, 21% of Gen Z said ranch was overrated. The flavor was mentioned nearly two times more than the next closest flavor.
○ Ranch is a familiar favorite that offers plenty of room for creativity. Forty-three percent of survey respondents told Rubix they want to see more variations of the flavor, and two of the three flavors Rubix taste-tested with Gen Z at in-person sampling were variations of ranch. When asked, 92% of taste testers said they would go to a restaurant specifically for those sauces.

• 1 in 5 Gen Z are asking for a pickle sauce.

○ In response to "What food/beverage do you want to be turned into a sauce," 1 in 5 Gen Z replied "Pickle."
○ Only 2% of respondents in Rubix's influencer flavor polls said pickles were "overrated," suggesting the flavor hasn't yet peaked.
○ The food and beverage industry is faced with this demand, yet there are very few pickle-flavored sauces available in today's market. Pickles are also rising in the snacking category thanks to the viral Chamoy, which is all the more reason for QSRs to pay attention.

• Move over "swicy." "Swalty" has entered the chat.

○ Gen Z is the least likely generation to let cost be a consideration when it comes to sweets, meaning their purchase intent is primarily driven by cravings.
○ Sweet heat (or 'swicy') led the way this year, but Rubix's proprietary research found that Gen Z craves sweet and salty ('swalty') 5% more than craving swicy. This aligns with anticipated flavor trends, with swalty projected to grow by 32% by 2028, compared to swicy's 10% growth.
○ With "little treat culture" reflecting a rise in snacking, swalty combos will be what drives this generation to restaurants in 2025. 

"Understanding Gen Z is one thing, but adapting to this generation's evolving and experimental palate is critical for restaurants to drive meaningful traffic," said Shannon O'Shields, vice president of marketing at Rubix Foods. "On top of partaking in little treat culture and being exposed to diverse tastes, they are the generation most excited to try new food + beverage items and are quick to share what they love with social media. The goal is that this data gives restaurants the courage to innovate and try something new with their flavor offerings, ultimately meeting the demands of this influential group."

In July, Rubix's NEXT Flavor Network engaged their combined Gen Z audience of 2.6M social followers through Instagram polls posing questions that aimed to identify gaps in the current flavor offerings at QSRs. After garnering more than 45,000 unique responses, the NEXT Flavor Network took to the streets outside of Lollapalooza to get Gen Z's opinion on 3 new flavors: Pizza Ranch, Chimichurri Ranch and Asian Aloha. The NEXT Flavor Report analyzes these authentic consumer reactions and distills them into the insights restaurants need to stay ahead of emerging flavor trends and create products that resonate with Gen Z.

About Rubix Foods

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida since its founding in 1981, Rubix Foods is a premier culinary and food science-focused provider of flavor and functional ingredients, offering insight-driven concepts and breakthrough food solutions for industry-leading restaurants, retailers and manufacturers in the United States. The company partnered with private equity firm Arbor Investments in 2019 to accelerate growth and unlock new sales channels and opportunities. Rubix employs a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in their customers' worlds of consumer-packaged goods, manufacturing and foodservice, giving them unmatched insight into developing targeted solutions. For more information, visit rubixfoods.com and follow the company on social media: Facebook @RubixFoodsLLC, Instagram @RubixFoods, LinkedIn @RubixFoods, TikTok @RubixFoods.

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SOURCE Rubix Foods