The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

QSR brand Burger King is bringing back its fan-favourite Crown Nuggets after a fifteen-year hiatus, alongside a creative Crayola partnership to boost family transactions during the peak summer window.

QSR brand Sonic has launched its 2026 summer menu, combining nostalgic tie-ins for the US 250th anniversary with premium burger innovations and gamified app rewards to boost transaction volume.

Restaurant brand Popeyes has launched its first at-home baking mixes at major US retailers including Walmart and Target, accelerating its CPG brand-extension strategy.

Adult novelty brand Buzzbar has partnered with New York restaurant Serendipity Three to launch a range of premium spirit-infused desserts, targeting high-margin experiential dining.

Taco Bell has expanded its beverage footprint with a permanent cold brew and cold foam range, supporting Yum Brands' strategic goal to scale Taco Bell beverage sales to five billion dollars by 2030.

Starbucks will launch two new blue-hued, coconut-flavoured beverages on June 16, utilising blue spirulina and customisable functional boosts to capture summer consumer demand.

Sonic has launched a line of Frozen Refreshers combining real fruit purees and green tea caffeine, leveraging its frozen beverage dominance to target the functional active-lifestyle market.

Aramark has secured a long-term hospitality partnership with Grand Canyon University to scale campus dining and retail services for the rapidly expanding private institution.