The foodservice industry is expected to make a gradual recovery in 2025 after experiencing its first slowdown since the pandemic. With consumers facing economic headwinds, foodservice operators are focused on value, menu innovations and customer experience. Bacon remains an arrow in operators’ quiver to cater to consumers’ varied demands.

Foodservice operators continue to offer bacon on menus, although consumer conversations around food, health and wellness are changing. In 2024, social conversations about bacon declined by 13.79%, although 57.53% of restaurants still offered bacon on menus, according to Tastewise.

And the trend toward healthier eating and international flavors is expected to continue in 2025, according to RaboResearch Foodservice Quarterly. Consumers are looking for nutritious, novel and interesting menu options when eating outside the home. RaboResearch expects the expansion of fast-casual restaurant chains focused on salads, Mediterranean cuisine and other health conscious food offerings to continue gaining traction.

“The ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) movement may gain bipartisan support, potentially leading to adjustments in dietary guidelines, new regulations on additives, and even changes to SNAP program allowances, primarily prohibiting the purchase of ultra-processed foods,” according to the report. “Overall, the foodservice industry’s recovery, which was anticipated to be a rebound, may now be more of a gradual recovery in 2025, with a strong emphasis on healthier options and value-driven consumer behavior. Chains that can adapt to these trends and address economic challenges are likely to emerge stronger in the coming year.”

The National Restaurant Association echoed a similar sentiment in the association’s 2025 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.

“This year’s forecast highlights a powerful shift toward enhancing both individual wellness and the health of our planet,” said Chad Moutray, PhD, vice president of Research and Knowledge for the National Restaurant Association. “As customers seek sustainable choices and exciting new flavor experiences, restaurants are responding with options that emphasize locally sourced ingredients and innovative menu offerings. The popularity of Southeast Asian flavors also speaks to a more adventurous consumer palate, with many diners interested in global cuisine that brings added depth to their dining experiences.”

Theme pork

But foodservice operators aren’t bailing out on bacon.

Bake’N Bacon started as a food truck in 2019 by Chef Justin Coleman and his business partner Kevin Alexander. The pair now has a brick-and-mortar location in South Philadelphia.

The restaurant menu features bacon across dayparts. The brunch menu features a bacon egg and cheese breakfast burger and a bacon caramel burger — a Wagyu beef patty topped with applewood smoked bacon, smoked gouda, sharp cheddar and a homemade bacon caramel sauce.

Bacon Burnt Ends, smoked pork belly burnt ends tossed in a house bacon-infused barbecue sauce, or mussels with bacon crumbles make for unique appetizers to kick off a bacon feast, while the bacon lobster alfredo is a unique dinner entrée option.

Slater’s 50/50, which sells branded burger patties and hot dogs that are 50% bacon, continues to offer a bacon flight that includes thick-cut slices of applewood Double Smoked Bacon, Sriracha Bacon, Rosemary Parmesan Bacon and Candied Billionaire Bacon.

“The emphasis on experience also extends beyond customer service to the unique ways restaurants engage diners,” the NRA said in its trends report. “Seventy percent of consumers expressed interest in tasting events, 52% in private dinner events with a chef, and 50% in cooking classes at a restaurant. These preferences illustrate the growing importance of innovative, hospitality-driven dining, where restaurants are not just places to eat, but spaces for entertainment, education, and community-building.”

Dickey’s Barbecue, a leading restaurant chain in the United States, announced the launch of Rancher’s Premium Smokehouse Bacon Cheddar Sausage. Created by Chef Matt Burton, vice president of culinary and R&D at Dickey’s Barbecue, the premium new product combines the rich flavors of smoky bacon and sharp cheddar cheese.

“This sausage was created with the intent to deliver both comfort and excitement in every bite,” Burton said. “It’s a product I’m truly proud of, and I can’t wait for our customers to enjoy it.”

Dickey’s is taking an omnichannel approach to offering the product. It’s available in Walmart stores and online at RanchersPremium.com.

In January, Bob Evans Farmhouse Kitchen unveiled new menu additions that draw inspiration from familiar flavors and farmhouse kitchen recipes that include bacon.

The Double Meat Breakfast Tacos platter features three soft flour tortillas filled with hard-wood smoked bacon and sausage crumbles topped with cage-free scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and diced tomatoes.

In 2024, Applebee’s added a limited-time offering called the Whole Lotta Bacon Burger featuring applewood smoked bacon mixed in an all-beef patty topped with three slices of bacon, a tangy bacon sauce and American cheese. It was served on a toasted Brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles with classic fries.

Other bacon-centric burgers on the Applebee’s menu included the Whisky Bacon Burger and Classic Bacon Burger.

Prices, prices, prices

Another factor influencing the selection of menu items on offer is rising prices for basic items such as coffee, eggs and meat. Both consumers and restaurants are feeling the bite of inflation.

Rabobank noted in its analysis of global foodservice trends that, in the United States, restaurant transactions declined by 4.3% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, although this result was an improvement from the -6% of the previous quarter.

Technomic noted that menu inflation undoubtedly disrupted customer traffic in 2024. In response, the industry implemented various discounts and deals with mixed results.

“In the coming year, we’ll see a return to normal pricing tactics as restaurants work to reset their value equations and win back customers,” Technomic said. “Expect price setting to be more in line with pre-pandemic inflation rates, new menu launches to rely less heavily on discounts and marketing communications to emphasize strong everyday value. With food-at-home inflation already returning to pre-pandemic norms, the risk of not resetting pricing strategies will be too great for operators to ignore.”

Wendy’s Corp. noted in its quarterly earnings statement that growth in the QSRs fourth quarter was supported by limited-time offerings including the mushroom bacon burger and the morning daypart. The outlook for 2025 is for rising commodity inflation.

“In terms of commodities, we think beef will be the biggest driver of that increase year over year. We think we’ll also see a little bit of pressure from bacon, partially offset by improvements in other areas,” said Ken Cook, chief financial officer, Wendy’s Corp. “Right now, we wouldn’t expect any significant impact to cost of goods sold as a result of tariffs, but it is something that we’re watching closely, working with our partners at (Quality Supply Chain Cooperative) to make sure if there are incremental headwinds to what we guided to, that we’re doing what we can to offset that in other areas of the commodity basket.”

New definitions of value

The NRA’s 2025 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast indicated that foodservice operators are well aware value-focused deals keep dining out accessible for cost conscious consumers.

“We began planning for 2025 by looking at multiple third-party forecasts for both food away from home and industry traffic,” Cook said during a call with analysts. “These indicate that consumer spending for food away from home is expected to remain pressured.”

Foodservice operators are showing that, despite higher prices for bacon, the protein can still be part of the value meal mix.

Huddle House’s $3.99 Classic Huddle Breakfast comes with two farm-fresh eggs cooked to order, two pieces of crispy bacon, a side of hashbrowns, and wheat or white toast. Malinda Grimes, senior brand marketing manager for Huddle House said, “We are all about offering hearty, homestyle meals at affordable prices. Our $3.99 Classic Huddle Breakfast reaffirms Huddle House as the go-to spot for satisfying meals that won’t break the bank.”

And Bob Evans’ Double Meat Breakfast Tacos are part of an $8.99 value meal that includes two breakfast tacos.

“In 2025, the meaning of ‘value’ to the dining consumer will extend beyond price to include a mix of experience, hospitality and affordability,” the association said. “Research highlights that welcoming environments and socialization are key motivators for consumers. To address this demand, restaurant operators must strike a balance between offering value-based pricing while ensuring cleanliness alongside a friendly, approachable staff.”