The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

Taco Bell is expanding its premium "topped fries" category with the launch of Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries, a limited-time offering that marks the brand's first partnership centred on the rare St. Augustine Datil pepper to capture the "sweet-heat" consumer trend.

DPC Dash Ltd continues to dominate the Chinese pizza market in Q1 2026, breaking global sales records and expanding its store footprint to 1,462 locations under its proven 4D strategic framework.

Empire Company Limited is set to acquire Mayrand Food Group, a move that provides the retail giant with a strategic entry into the growing Quebec discount and warehouse food market serving both households and foodservice operators.

McCain Foods is expanding its appetiser and side dish portfolio with Brew City® Beer Battered Potato Waves, a distinctive "wave-cut" potato designed to help restaurateurs diversify menus with premium, low-labour textures.

Second Cup Coffee Co. is expanding its Canadian menu with eight new seasonal beverages, focusing on cold refreshers, functional energy drinks, and indulgent flavours to capture the growing demand for customizable iced options.

ezCater has transitioned from a catering marketplace to an enterprise-grade workplace food platform, launching a new brand identity developed with Koto and integrating deep-tier features like Slack connectivity and centralised reporting to serve multi-location organisations.

Starbucks EMEA has announced the launch of "Protein Cold Foam," a technical evolution of its signature foam platform that delivers 15g of whey protein per serving, strategically targeting the high-growth functional beverage and "better-for-you" (BFY) markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Starbucks has officially launched its "Energy Refreshers" platform nationwide, a year-round menu evolution that integrates B vitamins and 125mg of natural caffeine into its successful Refreshers line, specifically targeting the high-growth functional energy and wellness-conscious consumer segments.