Beverages continue to have a moment. Latest proof comes from Sonic, which added a line of refreshers to its beverage offerings. The chain says the drinks are suitable for everything from “morning commutes, road trips, and festival stops, to a quick break between activities or an afternoon pick‑me‑up.”

Sonic’s entry into the refresher game comes on the heels of Panera launching two new specialty beverages: Frescas and Energy Refreshers, per a company release. The new premium specialty beverage categories offer distinctive, chef-crafted options including coffee alternatives and fruit-forward flavors.

The fact that chains like Sonic and Panera continue to try to use beverages as a lever to increase customer traffic and sales represents a continuation of a trend that started in 2025. Last year, operators introduced 1,091 new non-alcoholic beverage items to their menus, per Datassential. Second on that list were dessert items (595) and sandwiches (419).

Of course, the beverage success is not exactly universal.

Case in point: Drip coffee sales are slowing, well, to a drip. Orders of drip coffee declined 3.3% in 2025 compared to the previous year, per according to a Restaurant Dive story citing data from Toast. In contrast, sales of lattes increased 4.0% and espresso shots rose 3.35%. Orders of cold brew decreased by 2.2%, the story added.

Foodservice News

• If you are looking to describe the operator outlook at the moment, the word that comes to mind is cautious. That was one key takeaway from a March 12, 2026, Datassential webcast called “Inside the Operator Mindset.” This shows through in operators’ plans for capital investments in 2026. Only 30% of operators plan to make capital investments this year, per Datassential, compared to 43% who said they have no plans for doing so. And 27% said “maybe” when asked if they plan to make a capital investment. This wait-and-see approach is linked to operators' most pressing concerns for this year, which, in order, consist of increasing traffic, managing food costs, managing labor, managing waste, and improving employee training, Datassential noted in that webcast.
• The foodservice industry continues to grow its share of consumers’ wallets. In 2025, foodservice spending accounted for 13.6% of all retail and foodservice sales, per a Technomic analysis. This is up 3.1% from 2020 and 2.0% from 2015. In contrast, over the last 25 years, grocery stores have seen their share of consumers' wallets fall to 10.5% in 2025 from 12.4% in 2000.
• Logan’s Roadhouse has a new sibling. In a very under-the-radar deal, SPB sold the 125-unit steakhouse chain to SSCP Management, which is the parent company of CiCi’s Pizza, per multiple published reports, including this one from Nation’s Restaurant News. SPB made the move as part an effort to focus its resources on growing its upscale and chef-driven brands, such as J. Alexander’s, Stoney River and the Garces Collection, a spokesperson added.
• Consumers seem to have an insatiable appetite for value meals and chains like McDonald’s continue to take notice. The Chicago-based chain will introduce menu items priced at $3 or less and $4 meal deals next month, per multiple published reports, including this one from Reuters via Yahoo! Finance. Last year, McDonald's offered a 15% discount on combo meals as ⁠well as introduced $5 and $8 specials. The emphasis on value meals comes as consumers continue to feel financially stretched. Specifically, 70% of consumers say they would use restaurants more frequently if they had more money, per the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 State of the Industry report.
• Pizza Hut is looking for a pie lover to become a “Hut Crust Connoisseur,” per various published reports, including this one from Design Rush. The position pays $31,415.92 and includes free pizza for a year. The chain is launching this in conjunction with its “Hut Crust” initiative, which celebrates its classic crusts and introduces its first hand-tossed recipe update in more than a decade. Pizza Hut’s announcement comes on the heels of Wendy’s search for a CTO – chief taste officer – to help with its marketing efforts.
• Congratulations to Mayahuel on being the first recipient of the Restaurant Design of the Year Award from restaurant development + design magazine. “Every design detail reflects a dialogue between heritage and modernity, the same dialogue that appears in the restaurant’s menu, where refined, modern Mexican cuisine focuses on art and craft,” the magazine wrote in describing the project.
• Despite uncertain economic times, members of the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers remain steadfast in their efforts to combat hunger. For 2026 NAFEM’s social purpose program has expanded to match donations of food equipment and supplies to local Feeding America food banks. In addition to its own donation to Feeding America, NAFEM has allocated $375,000 in matching funds this year to match donations of foodservice equipment and supply items. In 2025 NAFEM member companies donated more than 5 million meals to Feeding America food banks. And since the program’s inception in 2020, NAFEM member companies have donated more than 50 million meals.

Economic News

• The Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% in February, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the 12-month period ending in February 2026, the Consumer Price Index was up 2.4%, which is in line with what was projected, per CNBC. The index for shelter rose 0.2 percent in February and was the largest factor in the all-items monthly increase. The food index increased 0.4% over the month as did the food at home index, while the food away from home index rose 0.3%. The index for energy also increased in February, rising 0.6%.
• Industrial production increased 0.2% in February, per data from the U.S. Federal Reserve. This is 0.5% less than January’s increase. In February, manufacturing output rose 0.2%. At 102.6% of its 2017 average, total IP in February was 1.4% more than its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization remained unchanged at 76.3%, a rate that is 3.1 percentage points less than its long-run (1972–2025) average.
• Disposable personal income increased 0.9% and personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4% in January, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. These increases were in line with economists projections, per a Reuters story.
• Consumer sentiment declined a bit in March. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment declined 2% for the month. “Interviews completed prior to the military action in Iran showed an improvement in sentiment from last month, but lower readings seen during the nine days thereafter completely erased those initial gains,” said Joanne Hsu, the university’s surveys of consumers director. A closer look at the data shows consumers showing some optimism about current economic conditions but their outlook for the future is not as bright.
• The fourth quarter of 2025 did not end on such a strong note after all for the U.S. economy. Gross domestic product rose just 0.7% for the period, per the U.S. Commerce Department’s second estimate. This is significantly less than the original estimate of 1.4% GDP growth. It’s also significantly less than the 1.5% increase Dow Jones economists had projected, per a CNBC analysis.