Food & Beverage
Inflight intelligence: Decoding flavor at 30,000 feet
A foresight expert and a fast casual operator decode how drivers shape tomorrow’s menu.
October 16, 2025 by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc
Setting
Late evening, cruising altitude. The plane hums softly, filled with drowsy conference-goers scrolling through notes and emails. Amber light glows against the clouds as the jet heads home.
Characters
Sage Harper — a composed, sharp-minded Trends Foresight Expert known for decoding chaos in trend patterns and consumer behavior. Travels constantly, always carrying a sleek tablet loaded with dashboards and flavor-mapping models that connect psychology to plate. Calm, confident, and slightly mischievous in her wit.
Chase Griddle — a fast casual restaurant group operator juggling forty units and ten crises at any given time. Passionate, energetic, a little skeptical of "trend talk," but genuinely curious about what makes people tick. Known for bold menu risks that either make headlines or cause headaches.
SCENE 1 – BOARDING HOME
(Overhead bins slam; the aisle shuffles with tired laughter and carry-ons. Sage slides into 14A, a window seat. She opens her tablet, stylus in hand, reviewing post-conference notes labeled "Flavor Signals 2026."Chase drops into 14B with a sigh and a paper cup of airport coffee.)
CHASE
Well, what do you know. Sage Harper—front row at 35,000 feet. Guess fate figured I wasn't done learning yet.
SAGE
(grinning)
Or maybe the universe thought you needed a debrief.
CHASE
I saw your session today — "Decoding Flavor Patterns for Tomorrow's Menus." You had half the room scribbling notes like college freshmen. I'll admit, I didn't think trend forecasting could make people sit up straight after breakfast.
SAGE
That's my secret—use data like drama. Keeps everyone awake.
CHASE
You weren't kidding about the chaos part. My notebook looks like a conspiracy board of sauces and snack charts.
SAGE
Then it worked. Chaos makes patterns easier to see once you stop resisting it.
(Seatbelts click. The engines deepen. The cabin hushes.)
SCENE 2 – ASCENT
CHASE
Your talk about heat as an experiential driver stuck with me. I checked our POS numbers on the break—our mild items are crawling while "Spicy Mango Calabrian Crunch" is sprinting.
SAGE
You're seeing exactly what I meant. Fear isn't controlling consumers right now. Post-COVID, people are more resilient—stress is high, but panic doesn't paralyze them. They're chasing safe risks. Mintel found that 45% of U.S. consumers now actively seek out bold or spicy flavors in food and beverage.
CHASE
So "spicy" is less rebellion and more recovery?
SAGE
Exactly. Heat gives people the illusion of risk—the thrill without the consequence. Citrus, chilies, and texture—all those extremes on the palate—are emotional recalibration disguised as flavor.
CHASE
(chuckling)
A therapy session with chili oil. I can work that into a menu description.
SCENE 3 – THE CART RATTLES BY
(A flight attendant passes with the beverage cart. The clink of ice cubes, the hiss of a can opening.)
SAGE
You probably heard me talk about beverages in the session, too. They're the clearest expression of reinvention right now—on both sides of the bar.
The non-alcoholic category's booming—premium, complex alternatives to beer and spirits with adaptogens, nootropics, and probiotics. It's about energy, calm, and clarity.
Meanwhile, alcohol's rewriting itself with lower ABV, experimental brews, and eco-conscious distilling.
CHASE
Yeah, I jotted that down. We tried zero-proof cocktails with botanical syrups last quarter—expected tumbleweeds. Instead, we had a waitlist. Turns out people don't miss the buzz; they miss the ritual.
SAGE
Exactly. Epicurium found that even in beverages, consumers crave intention—crafted experiences that feel earned, not impulse-driven. Whether it's a kombucha with tang or a small-batch whiskey with a floral twist, it's story and sophistication over status.
SCENE 4 – PATTERNS ON A SCREEN
(Sage turns her tablet toward Chase, showing a dashboard filled with color-coded trend signals.)
SAGE
Remember this slide from today? See those three clusters—flavor boldness, travel influence, and hybrid eating? They're all converging.
Consumers want food that tells them two stories at once: one about adventure, one about safety.
CHASE
So "global comfort food" isn't just marketing talk—it's emotional architecture.
SAGE
Exactly. Bold sauces—chili crisp, zhug, yuzu kosho, hot honey—are booming because they bridge curiosity and familiarity. YouGov found that 58% of consumers prioritize ingredients and 48% focus on nutritional value in their decisions. People are being deliberate, not indulgent.
CHASE
And here I thought they just wanted something to dunk fries in.
SAGE
They do. But they also want that dip to say, "I'm adventurous, but approachable."
SCENE 5 – SNACKONOMICS
CHASE
You know that section you did about meal-skipping? Spot on.
We rolled out "Snack Trios" this year—three mix-and-match plates. People love it. Feels fun, but it's really about portion control and price.
SAGE
That's the strategy in action. Dunnhumby found 36% of U.S. families have skipped meals for financial reasons, and IFIC reports 56% replace traditional meals with snacks or smaller combinations.
Meanwhile, Del Monte says 80% of parents and 66% of non-parents substitute meals with snacks.
When you reframe it as intentional—balanced, portioned, nutrient-conscious—it gives people agency. That's why healthy snacking sales jumped 43% this year (Epicurium).
CHASE
Agency tastes like hot honey?
SAGE
(laughing)
Sometimes it tastes like "swicy." Sweet heat bridges comfort and courage.
SCENE 6 – THE GLASS & THE GLASSLESS
(A passenger clinks a cocktail two rows up. Another sips sparkling water with a citrus twist.)
CHASE
You also mentioned during Q&A that alcohol's not disappearing—it's diversifying. That was an "aha" moment.
SAGE
Exactly. Functional non-alcoholic drinks are climbing fast, but alcohol isn't collapsing—it's refining.
Culinary Tides' 2026 forecast shows RTD and beer segments rising, functional alcohol dipping, and overall flavor exploration continuing to climb even as total spending softens.
CHASE
So it's not "drinking less," it's "drinking smarter."
SAGE
Perfect summary. It's experience per dollar, not drink per hour.
SCENE 7 – CRUISING ALTITUDE
(The seatbelt light flashes, then fades. Outside, the horizon glows violet and gold.)
CHASE
Alright, Sage—post-conference homework. My inbox is full of LTO ideas and half of them have mango wearing sunglasses.
SAGE
(laughing)
Start with what's approachable and move toward what's aspirational.
Use what I call an Affinity Ladder:
High Affinity: safe, familiar, affordable.
Bridge: familiar base with a global accent.
Edge: bold or hybrid, but still balanced.
Let guests climb curiosity, not leap into it. That's how boldness sticks.
CHASE
And if my competitor launches "Firestorm Reaper Quesadillas" next week?
SAGE
Let them. Culinary Tides' research proves longevity beats novelty every time.
Study a trend's trajectory—not your neighbor's noise.
SCENE 8 – THE HUMAN FACTOR
CHASE
You'll like this. We launched a citrus-pepita salad—simple, clean—and it outsold a fried viral item.
SAGE
No surprise. Because people crave authenticity, not algorithms. They're drawn to regionality, craft, and story. Elevated doesn't have to mean expensive—it means coherent.
When your flavor story matches their emotional state, you win loyalty.
CHASE
Elevated ≠ expensive.
(pauses)
I like that. My ops team will, too.
SAGE
And your guests already do.
SCENE 9 – DESCENT
(The captain's voice crackles. City lights flicker below. Sage closes her tablet; the screen flashes "2026 Flavor Landscape: Confidence Tested.")
CHASE
You know, I went to that summit expecting big revelations, but I think what you said on stage summed it up best—
Boldness isn't rebellion, it's recovery.
Snacks aren't filler, they're flexible meals.
And beverages—those are identity in liquid form.
SAGE
(smiling)
You already practice foresight—you just use ingredients instead of data.
I map signals. You translate them into dishes.
CHASE
(chuckling)
I was. You made foresight sound like something a chef could actually use. We're both forecasters—I just forecast in oil instead of pixels.
SAGE
Exactly. And when you cross-tie your trends, you build longevity instead of chasing the next shiny thing.
(They exchange a knowing look—a spark of partnership and possibility.)
TAG – WHEELS DOWN
(The tires touch. The cabin exhales.)
CHASE
If they invite you back next year, they'd better give you the keynote slot.
SAGE
Only if you promise to bring snacks.
CHASE
Deal.
(shouldering his bag)
Analytical ending with a hopeful aftertaste. I can work with that.
SAGE
Welcome to tomorrow's menu.
(They step into the aisle, their conversation blending into the hum of anticipation.)
FADE OUT.
