Grubhub released its annual retrospective trend report today, the 2023 Delivered report, which analyzes millions of orders from diners across the U.S. to uncover food and beverage shifts and behaviors.
While last year’s top dish was a burrito, in 2023 ‘doing it for the vibes’ was a way of life: diners found joy in stepping out of their comfort zones and breaking conventions, such as embracing pineapple on pizza and ordering salads with a side of fries.
In 2023, consumers opted for spice and ‘nuanced heat,’ a trend highlighted by the SFA Trendspotter panel, with over 53 million items ordered with added spice. Classic favorites like sriracha were added over 91,000 times, and buffalo chicken wings came in first as the most ordered wing flavor followed by lemon pepper, BBQ, teriyaki, and garlic parmesan.
The top spicy dishes ordered on the platform include spicy potato soft tacos, spicy chicken sandwiches, spicy tuna rolls, hot and sour soup, and drunken noodles.
While on the hunt for different flavors, consumers also embraced the range of offerings provided by fermentation. Pickles, for example, experienced its largest increase in support, shooting up 89 percent in order frequency.
In looking at beverages, Diet Coke reigned supreme. Grubhub attributes the craze to the trending #dietcokebreak hashtag with over 43 million views on TikTok. While at the workplace, Diet Coke orders spiked 17 percent in 2023 compared to last year.
Evening caffeine fixes also trended this year, with over 10 million coffee beverages being ordered after 5 p.m. The top coffee purchases include iced coffee, caramel frappe, mocha frappe, cappuccino, and hot coffee. Congruent with a rise in caffeine, milk also made a comeback. Dairy’s inclusion in coffee beverages increased by 20 percent this year, compared to last year.
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