With an optimistic outlook for 2026, it was difficult last week to address the unexpected changes in consumer spending due to rising gas prices and other war-related costs. However, this week, we want to share another article from Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) that we believe creates creative opportunity for meeting existing customers where they are while adding potential for reaching new customers.
Enter: the snack menu. “Unable to afford full meals, or at the very least unwilling to pay for them, consumers are slipping into restaurants for snacks instead: While overall traffic is down, snacking occasions in restaurants are up by nearly 7%, according to Technomic,” writes Bret Thorn for NRN. He continues with a quote from Mike Ball, vice president of franchise development for 11-unit fast-casual breakfast chain Vicious Biscuit. “‘Over the last six months, our snackable items have generated nearly $600,000 in revenue.’ That includes shareable items like items like $9.50 Fried Green ’Maters (fritters of green tomatoes and pimento cheese garnished with fried okra), $9.50 cinnamon cream cheese-filled beignets, and $7 sweet potato hushpuppies, called Sweet Puppies, served with white chocolate custard for dipping.”
According to recent polls, consumers are saying that, while restaurant dining has become difficult to afford, it is an essential part of their lifestyles. In order to maintain a semblance of normalcy and convenience, these diners are continuing to dine-out, but their orders have been reduced to snack-sized portions. While this does mean restaurant tickets will take a hit, there is an opportunity to draw-in customers looking for a snack-sized restaurant experience and to serve customers who may be feeling the pressures of rising prices.
“Smaller items might not only appeal to customers on a budget, but also to people whose appetites are suppressed by GLP-1 weight loss medications, and 23% of U.S. households had someone taking the drugs as of September 2025, according to consumer research firm Circana,” reports NRN, adding more snacking diners to the pool. Shrinking budgets and shrinking appetites are both solid reasons for considering “snack” menus, especially around happy hour.
“Most of those snacks and shareables are sold as add-ons during the restaurants’ peak hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., ‘but we really do see a spike in the afternoon of [customers] coming in later in the day just for a little afternoon snack,’ Ball said.” The trend is rapidly growing, popping up in locations that might not have previously served food. “Coffeehouses have also been adding food. Dutch Bros has slowly been rolling out a food program that includes muffin tops, granola bars, and breakfast wraps. Food is currently available at around 300 of its roughly 1,100 locations, and the company expects food will contribute to about 4% same-store-sales growth this year.”
Larger chains have been adopting the practice that could be easily recreated in any restaurant setting. Thorn shares, “Last summer, The Cheesecake Factory added eight small-plate “bites” to its menu. It has since expanded to 12 items, including $6.95 pickle fries, $7.50 Spicy Jambalaya Arancini (breaded and fried balls of Creole-flavored fried rice made with andouille sausage, peppers, and onions), and $8.95 meatball sliders with vodka sauce and melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.”
This trend has legs because there is solid reasoning behind it—and it isn’t difficult for any sized restaurant to implement. Reach out to our restaurant consultants for easy adjustments to your menu to include and engage this new snacking crowd.