Yum Brands’ Inside Look at Food Trends

Yum Brands released in December its first-ever 2026 Food Trends Report: What’s Next in Dining. The report, which Yum created in partnership with its internal strategy agency, Collider Lab, draws on research, behavioral insights and learnings from its four brands: KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill. In total, the Louisville, Ky.-based company oversees 62,000-plus restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories.

Three trends highlighted in the report include the following:

The me-me-me economy. “Consumers are reshaping dining around personal expression and autonomy,” Yum states. “Foods once meant for social gatherings are being redesigned for one, reflecting a shift toward food that matches individual identity and mood.” Case in point: Personal pizzas. Among modern pizza product concepts tested in 2025, personal-size pizza was the most successful among Gen Z and millennials.

“Our global footprint gives us unique visibility into the ever-changing ways people order and experience food.”
– Ken Muench, chief marketing officer, Yum Brands and co-founder of Collider Lab

Choice therapy. It’s a chaotic world. Yum sees build-your-own boxes and bundles, sauce options, and flavor tweaks as solutions that could help consumers feel more grounded. “Boxes and bundles are becoming symbols of control,” it states. And with sauces, consumers say the food item is more than two times more likely to bring excitement to the everyday compared with other food items. Yum’s latest restaurant concept, Saucy, offers more than 4,000 ways to order; it could offer a different flavor experience at just about every visit.

Vibe-mathing. Price tag is important, but so is the emotional value of food. The No. 1 attribute driving momentum for QSR brands is whether a brand “is very cool,” Yum states, “even outranking whether a restaurant has craveable food.” Everyday little luxuries, such as fries or sweet treats, continue to gain traction, as do beverages, which are small but accessible joys. Taco Bell has sold over 600 million beverages in 2025 as of mid-December, a 16% increase from 2024.

Comfort and value also ranked high on the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, released in November. The association points to the following top five menu trends coming in 2026: local sourcing, comfort foods, value menus and options, smash burgers, and clear menu labeling, icons and cues.