Menu Talk with Pat and Bret is a collaboration between Restaurant Business senior menu editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality.
Menu Talk: Pat and Bret weigh in on food and drink trends and share an interview with Nathan Louer, chief brand officer of Jamba
Welcome to a new year of Menu Talk. On this week’s podcast, Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, and Pat Cobe, senior menu editor at Restaurant Business, talk trends.
New Year’s Day marks the start of Dry January, which seems to be motivation for people to moderate alcohol consumption for a while, even if they fall off the wagon before the month is out. Pat has tried it and stuck with it twice, but this year, she’s going with “Damp” January instead, cutting back without completely abstaining.
However Dry January shakes out, the hosts agree that the quantity and quality of mocktails at restaurants and bars is much improved. Bret recently wrote about how the complexity and craftsmanship of spirit-free options offer non-drinking guests an experience that’s not at all diminished. In fact, spirit-free pairings or smaller pours with a tasting menu can enhance rather than dull the experience.
Aside from the spirit-free trend, which Pat and Bret see continuing, they chatted about the abundance of food and drink predictions that have landed in their inboxes. Will the sweet-heat or “swicy” flavor trend move into 2025, and what will the “it” cuisine be this year? And what’s with all the brown sugar and espresso on the beverage side? Plus, what happened to all the healthy menu items that usually launch in January?
Tune in to find out the latest, plus Pat shares an interview with Nathan Louer, chief brand officer at Jamba. He discusses how Jamba has evolved from a juice and smoothie concept to a destination for meal replacements and snacks that balance health and indulgence. Louer and his team are focusing innovation on the core menu, introducing new categories, including bowls, blended coffees, and bites. Give it a listen.
Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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