Menu item counts and overall menu prices increased over the last year, Technomic reports

Overall menu item counts in Canada are on the rise (up 4.3 per cent), with every mealpart showing growth, according to new data from Technomic for the first quarter of 2024. Also increasing are overall menu prices by 3.7 per cent in the last year.

Non-alcohol beverages saw the largest item count growth, up 8.6 per cent on menus year over year, in part due to jumps in chillers (+66.7 per cent) and protein/enhanced smoothies (+22.2 per cent). Several of the fastest-growing preparation styles over the past year are those associated with beverages, including slush (+70.6 per cent), spritzer (+40.0 per cent), and cold brew (+22.2 per cent).

Global flavours are growing on Canadian menus, with dragon fruit (+75.0 per cent), guava (+32.4 per cent), and shiso (+25.0 per cent) all appearing on the list of fastest-growers. Similarly, several global proteins are on the rise, including chicharron (+80.0 per cent), carne asada (+40.0 per cent), and mortadella (+40.0 per cent). Seafood such as Dungeness crab (+20.8 per cent) and whitefish (+20.6 per cent) are also increasing on menus. Meanwhile, plant-based items have fallen out of the list of top 10 fastest-growing proteins entirely.

The data comes from Technomic’s new Ignite Menu data for the first quarter of 2024. Visit ignite.technomic.com to access more information.