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1 week ago | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
The origin of ice cream is uncertain: Some historians credit the Chinese, while others nod to the Persians. Details of its arrival in the U.S. are similarly cloudy, though multiple sources note that the Founding Fathers regularly indulged. In fact, merchant records show that George Washington spent $200 on ice cream at a New York shop in the summer of 1790.
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3 weeks ago | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
Innovation is the lifeblood of menu development, with countless new items invigorating restaurant brands and energizing the industry as a whole. While many of these may not evolve into long-term trends with major-league status, they still represent valuable niche opportunities to perk up offerings and generate buzz. Each month, we’re serving up a platter of ideas that aim to create a connection with customers and deliver a promotional pop.
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1 month ago | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
Well into its second centennial, perennial breakfast-and-brunch favorite eggs Benedict shows no sign of flagging. Created in New York City in the late 19th century, its basic formula of poached eggs, smoked meat and hollandaise sauce over bread remains largely unchanged, though minor tweaks have included the adoption of an English muffin to replace the original toast and the use of Canadian bacon instead of the earlier strip bacon.
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1 month ago | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
Innovation is the lifeblood of menu development, with countless new items invigorating restaurant brands and energizing the industry as a whole. While many of these may not evolve into long-term trends with major-league status, they still represent valuable niche opportunities to perk up offerings and generate buzz. Each month, we’re serving up a platter of ideas that aim to create a connection with customers and deliver a promotional pop.
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2 months ago | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
For nearly a decade, the U.S. has led the world in pistachio production and consumption—it’s also the largest exporter of the popular nut. And forecasters at RaboResearch don’t see a slowdown anytime soon, predicting that the pistachio market’s growth will be driven by a powerful combination of factors, including product innovation and promotion, nutritional profile and year-round availability.
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2 months ago | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
As spring fever takes root, new menu items, LTOs and brand collaborations are also in bloom, with operators and consumers alike ready for fresh offerings. Unsurprisingly, many of the most exciting dishes to emerge will feature trending ingredients that are enjoying a frenzy of their own. Two items to watch this spring that have little to nothing in common beyond their buzz-worthy status are lion’s mane mushrooms and churros.
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Mar 4, 2025 | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
Despite its recent growth spurt and thoroughly modern image, there’s nothing new about brunch. Smithsonian magazine reports that the term “brunch,” the now familiar breakfast-and-lunch hybrid, first made its print debut in a British periodical in 1895. The story, titled “Brunch: A Plea,” called for an alternative to traditional, heavy Sunday breakfasts in favor of lighter fare served late in the morning.
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Feb 20, 2025 | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
Everyone loves a comeback story, including ones with a culinary twist. Curdy cottage cheese, for example, belonged to the era of rock ‘n’ roll music, drive-in movies and “I Love Lucy,” until social media influencers began exhuming it. Similarly, using animal fats as cooking oils fell out of practice decades ago, but now restaurants and consumers are reconsidering beef tallow and the like. At the same time, brands are breaking new ground with classic foods and beverages.
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Feb 5, 2025 | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
The steadily rising popularity of foods from Latin America and Asia has stoked consumer interest in tropical fruits like mango, papaya and guava. Thanks to their bright flavors, sunny colors and relative novelty on many menus, these fruits could easily overshadow familiar standbys like apples. But apples achieved their tried-and-true status for good reason: Their combination of availability, affordability and familiarity is hard to beat.
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Jan 28, 2025 | 
getflavor.com | Nancy Kruse
Innovation is the lifeblood of restaurant operations—as continuously proven by the dozens of LTOs launching every month, if not every week. Unsurprisingly, given January’s new-year-new-you ethos, health halos come into play, but this time with a hyper-focus on protein, even in indulgent formats. Following in the footsteps of carajillos and other Latin American-inspired cocktails, maize liquor is becoming a go-to ingredient in certain beverage builds.
