<p dir="ltr"><strong>Louisville, Ky. December 10, 2025 – </strong>Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), in collaboration with its internal strategy agency Collider Lab, today released its first-ever trends report. The 2026 Food Trends Report: What’s Next in Dining uncovers the cultural and consumer shifts shaping how and what people will eat in 2026, offering insights on the evolving expectations of modern diners. With more than 62,000 restaurants worldwide, Yum! has an unmatched view into what’s happening across global food culture, making this an unprecedented inside industry look. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Drawing on research, behavioral insights, and learnings from Yum!’s four iconic global brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill – The 2026 Food Trends Report shows how consumers are increasingly using food to reclaim a sense of agency in a fast-changing world. People are turning to food not just for convenience, but for experiences that give a sense of control by reflecting individual tastes and moods through personalization and hands-on engagement.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Our global footprint gives us unique visibility into the ever-changing ways people order and experience food,” said Ken Muench, Chief Marketing Officer, Yum! Brands, Inc. and Co-Founder of Collider Lab. “The 2026 Food Trends Report helps us see where culture is headed and gives our brands a clearer path to creating more moments of joyful, flavorful ownership for our customers.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Below is a snapshot of three trends highlighted in the report. To view the full report, click <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/news/company-stories-article/Yum+Brands+x+Collider+Lab+2026+Food+Trends+Report" >here</a>. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>The Me-Me-Me Economy</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Consumers are reshaping dining around personal expression and autonomy. Foods once meant for social gatherings are being redesigned for one, reflecting a shift toward food that matches individual identity and mood:</p>
<p dir="ltr">• <strong>It’s About Me, Even When It’s “We”: </strong>There is a need for personalization and autonomy, even when dining with others. Personal-size pizzas are outperforming with Gen Z and Millennials, and 31% of custom orders are made within customer groups of two.<br />
• <strong>Solo Dining as Self-Care:</strong> Solo orders have grown by 52% since 2021 (making up 47% of QSR dining occasions, compared to 31% in 2021), with people opting out of group meals to instead treat themselves. 68% of solo diners choose not to take advantage of a deal and over half spend $10–$30+ during a visit, suggesting diners are willing to pay more when dining alone.<br />
• <strong>Satisfying a Craving:</strong> Validating that meals can reflect individual tastes rather than the group’s, research shows that 24% of solo diners are out to satisfy a craving. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Choice Therapy</strong> </p>
<p dir="ltr">In a world that can feel chaotic, consumers are gravitating toward small, sensory decisions that create moments of emotional grounding:</p>
<p dir="ltr">• <strong> Build Your Own Power:</strong> Boxes and bundles are becoming symbols of control. Concepts that let consumers create their own meals consistently outperform convenience-led ideas. At Taco Bell, Build Your Own Taco offerings generated 72% positive sentiment.<br />
• <strong>Sauces as Emotional Excitement:</strong> Sauces can be a top tool for an emotional reset, with consumers saying that sauces are 2.4x more likely to bring excitement to the everyday compared to other food items. <br />
• <strong>Flavor Tweaks as Empowerment:</strong> Whether dipping, shaking, or fine-tuning spice levels, small rituals are giving consumers a sense of agency. At KFC, 71% of its top-performing menu item tests had specific sauces, reinforcing how influential customizable flavors have become.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Vibe-Mathing</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">As consumers navigate rising costs and endless choices, they are now approaching food through emotional value rather than just logic. Items that feel uplifting or aesthetically satisfying increasingly impact decisions as much as the price tag, reflecting a shift toward what feels good in the moment:</p>
<p dir="ltr">• <strong>Cool Counts:</strong> The #1 attribute driving momentum for quick-service restaurant brands is whether a brand “is very cool,” even outranking whether a restaurant has craveable food. <br />
• <strong>Everyday Little Luxuries:</strong> People are craving pick-me-ups throughout the week, with 68% of afternoon snack occasions (think fries or sweet treats) happening on weekdays. Consumers are looking for products that deliver a mood boost, with 1 in 4 young consumers (aged 18 – 29) seeing a trip to QSR as a special occasion.<br />
• <strong>Drinks for Dopamine:</strong> Modern beverages have emerged as low-stakes indulgences with high emotional return. Drinks are small but accessible joys, with 43% of specialty beverages purchased standalone without the customer buying any food.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Together, these three trends capture the shifting dynamics of choice, value and experience across the food landscape. The 2026 Food Trends Report puts Yum! Brands, Inc. at the forefront of this evolution. Through its global scale and Collider Lab’s cultural foresight, the company brings clarity to the forces shaping consumer behavior and the innovations that will guide dining's next chapter.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>About Yum! Brands</strong><br />
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 62,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the Company’s concepts – KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill. The Company's KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the chicken, Mexican-inspired food and pizza categories, respectively. Habit Burger & Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. In 2024, Yum! was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America, Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders and 3BL’s list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens. In 2025, the Company was recognized among TIME magazine’s list of Best Companies for Future Leaders. In addition, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut led Entrepreneur's Top Global Franchises 2024 list and were ranked in the first 25 of Entrepreneur’s 2025 Franchise 500, with Taco Bell securing the No. 1 spot in North America for the fifth consecutive year.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Members of the media are invited to contact:<br />
Lori Eberenz, Director, Public Relations, at 502/874-8200<br />
</p>
<p>
KFC U.S. Associate Communications Manager Jaclyn “Jax” Carson still has her first camera. Even though she hasn’t used it in years, she keeps her Cannon T3 tucked away on a closet shelf, like a teen unwilling to part with her childhood teddy bear. It’s also safe from her young daughters who could accidentally break it, mistaking it for toy.</p>
<p>Today, Carson prefers her Sony A7III, which she uses in her professional photography business on nights and weekends to shoot portraits of graduates, professionals, expecting mothers, newborns and families. It’s also the camera she uses to capture employee events for KFC and Pizza Hut, marrying Carson’s side hustle with her day job of graphic design, videography and yes, taking photos. </p>
<p>Carson didn’t study photography, but her passion for capturing images developed over time, like a print in a dark room.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/7f668b6a-91e2-4fee-85eb-d28273a8d35b/1/Dallas+Photographer-6.JPG?MOD=AJPERES" title="" style="margin: 0px auto; display: block; width: 620px; height: 414px;" /><br /></p>
<p>It started at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, when she worked for the Hawkeye newspaper. As a journalism major and the publication’s editor-in-chief, she was around photographers plenty. But she’d never gone beyond snapping candids of her family and friends until, one day, the staff photographer couldn’t make an assignment, giving Carson the opportunity to evolve her hobby. </p>
<p>Post-graduation, Carson got a job at a local TV news station and used her first paycheck to buy her first “big girl purchase,” the Cannon T3.
</p>
<p>“At the time, I thought it was spectacular, but looking back, I think, <i>that’s cute</i>, because it was a starter camera that came with a kit lens.” Carson said. “Eventually, I purchased a used – because they are not cheap – Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a 50-millimeter lens, which is pristine for portrait photography.”</p>
<p>Carson would go on to take photos of close friends and relatives until the world shut down in 2020, and like many creatives, she was motivated to <a href="https://www.jaxlensphotography.com/" >launch her own
photography business</a>. </p>
<p>“This was pre-kids, and I was working for a bank at the time, so I really had the freedom – and time – to experiment and learn,” Carson said. “I have a PhD in Google or YouTube as my former boss used to say. If I didn’t understand a light or a piece of equipment, I would Google it.”</p>
<p>Carson is also a regular participant at Dallas-based photography trainings, follows professional photographers on Instagram and has a subscription to Master Class. “I’m a hands-on learner, so I’ll take everything I’ve learned and then go out and do it,” she said.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/7f668b6a-91e2-4fee-85eb-d28273a8d35b/2/MM+Headshot.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" title="" style="width: 520px; height: 694px; margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /><em><span style="font-size: 14px;">Pizza Hut Global Head of Communications Michael </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Maldonado</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">; photo taken by Jaclyn Carson.</span></em><br /></p>
<p>In the five years since she launched JaxLens Visual Storytelling, Carson has taken headshots of Pizza Hut leaders like Global Head of Communications Michael Maldonado and Senior Director of Global Strategy and Transformation Rachel Meyer. One coworker, KFC U.S. Senior Associate Marketing Manager Kelsea Wilkerson, drove over an hour to have her headshots taken by Carson.
</p>
<p> Jaclyn is a gem,” Wilkerson said. “She’s so low-key about her photography that I genuinely had no idea she even did portraits. Once I finally figured it out, I booked her immediately. Now I have headshots I actually love, which feels like such a gift.”</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/7f668b6a-91e2-4fee-85eb-d28273a8d35b/3/DSC07124.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" title="" style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /><em><span style="font-size: 14px;">Pizza Hut, Ohio Drive location; photo taken by Jaclyn Carson.</span></em><br /></p>
<p>Her photos have even been used by Amazon employees, the band Dru Hill and journalists. But she’s most proud of the photos she took of the Ohio Drive location of Pizza Hut, which were used by news outlets that reported on the restaurant’s grand opening.</p>
<p> “I’m primarily portrait photography, so to see my asset images on CNN, Fast Company, local news stations, that was exciting,” Carson said.</p>
<p>And more of Carson’s images will appear on KFC U.S.’s internal communications as she’s taken on a new role for the brand, swapping images of pizza cheese pulls for fried chicken wings. But the images of people will remain Carson’s focus. </p>
<p>“I prefer to be behind the camera, making people laugh, so they’re comfortable having their picture taken,” Carson said. “I sometimes tell them my story because it’s kind of funny how I went from that Canon T3 that’s collecting dust in my closet to polished photography for the world’s largest restaurant company.”</p>
<p>Funny – more like, inspiring.</p>
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