Datassential

Our cups (and stomachs) are very full after another fabulous Elevate event in the books! A massive thank you to our gracious hosts, El Pollo Loco, and our own Shara Orem for planning such a fun and productive event 🎉 And thank you to all our attendees for your enthusiastic participation, openness and willingness to dive right in.

Avocados were flying, limes were squeezed and salt was sprinkled during our first-ever guac challenge 🥑 New tastes were tested and stomach limits pushed as we ate our way through Costa Mesa's lively dining scene 😋

Kelly Dykhuizen gave us tips on building a better innovation session (our favorite: a great session gives you fewer ideas, but better ones). And F&B leaders from top chains shared what keeps them up at night, what they'd launch tomorrow if they could, and how they use data to innovate 📈

Sound like fun? We'd love to have you at our next event! Learn more at https://hubs.la/Q04ylxvJ0

We're looking forward to the NACS Show, October 6-9, the convenience and fuel retailing industry's largest event of the year! If you will be in Vegas, be sure to stop by our booth in the Central Hall and connect with the Datassential team onsite: Attique Ajmal, Erica Cadwell, Wade Gerhardt, Sean Gill, Kayla Ignatius, Megan Lynberg, Matt Schreffler, Sydney Smith.

We're ready to talk c-store foodservice, the trends reshaping menus and dayparts, and how the sharpest operators are turning consumer and flavor insights into their next big growth opportunity.

Learn more about the event here: https://hubs.la/Q04yg4LX0

15,000 hospitality decision-makers, one pizza oven, and a hard truth about AI.

Our London team is exhibiting at the Hospitality Tech Expo, one of seven events at the Food Service Industry Expo! Here's what's in store.

🎤 First, join Marianne's session, "Confidently Wrong: AI Won't Grow Your Business – Good Data Will," where she'll explain why AI is only as smart as the data behind it.

🍕 Then, stop by to roll our trivia die and test your hospitality market knowledge. Right or wrong, you'll be entered to win your very own pizza oven!

We'll see you at booth HT620 🎲

Most retailers have more data than ever, but many still struggle to tell which menu innovations are worth investing in and which are just passing fads.

Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22 at 11:00 AM EDT for "Using Menu Trends to Grow Your C-Store Foodservice Brand," a partner webinar with Convenience Store News.

Adam Friedman of Datassential will show how to turn menu, consumer, and flavor trend data into a clear roadmap for profitable growth. He'll be joined by Philip Santini, Senior Director of Foodservice & Bar for Rutter's convenience stores, who will share how to spot emerging opportunities, evaluate menu concepts, prioritize categories, and build a foodservice identity that resonates with today's consumers.

You'll walk away with a strategic approach to menu innovation, one built for differentiation, loyalty, and stronger financial results, not just chasing the next trend.

Register here: https://hubs.ly/Q04xZLJ80

ConvenienceStore

Our in-house trendologists unanimously agree: predicting trends has never been about one data point. It’s about monitoring signals everywhere – menus, consumers, and social media.

Datassential just made everywhere easy.

Log in tomorrow to see 👀

As a proud FWD member, we're delighted to be speaking at the next Introduction to Foodservice event at Bidfood UK! 🚚

Our own Marianne Shick will break down the foodservice landscape in the United Kingdom: how it's shifted over the past five years, what the next five could look like, and the key takeaways suppliers and wholesalers need to stay ahead of a changing industry.

Get the event details and member registration link at: https://hubs.la/Q04xVx5x0

Tracking social conversations is table stakes. Knowing which voices actually predict what’s next is your competitive edge.

Datassential One's social intelligence now includes curated influencer panels, spanning Foodies, Alc Bev Experts, and Health Enthusiasts, so you're not just seeing volume, you're seeing what the people who help shape trends are saying. Every week, we surface the emerging themes bubbling up inside each panel before they hit the mainstream.

This week's signal from our Alc Bev Experts panel: dessert-style cocktail remixes are having a moment. Strawberries & cream daiquiris, apple ring sangria, boozy milkshakes... when it comes to cocktails, the item-as-flavor trend is in full swing!

Want to know what your category's experts are talking about right now? Request a demo: https://hubs.la/Q04xP6XX0

70% of Spanish consumers reported an inflation impact on bakery and pastry, the highest of the five European markets we surveyed. 🍰 They also reported the biggest rise in patisserie consumption, up 21% in a year.

So when money gets tighter, do small indulgences get easier to justify? We've already seen this play out in the US, where "little treat culture" has taken hold: a coffee, a pastry, or something small that still feels like a reward when the bigger purchase is off the table.

Meanwhile, French consumption held steady; it's a mature market with less room to grow. 🥐

See how consumer bakery habits differ across markets and generations in our on-demand webinar, From Bread to Patisserie 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04xh14m0

Datassential is heading The London Food & Drink Festival on September 16-17. 🍴

One roof, five shows: the UK's leading food and drink trade events join forces, with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of buyers, operators and retailers gathering to see what's next across hospitality, foodservice and retail.

Planning to be there? Connect with Marianne Shick and Todd Matteson for a conversation about the menu opportunities we're seeing right now.

For more event details: https://hubs.la/Q04xh45h0