Gen Z says they are the ‘foodie generation.’* We’re thinking Millennials might have something to say about that (after all, the word was coined in the early 80s, which is before Gen Z was even born), but for the sake of argument, we’re going to let them have this one.
To be fair, Gen Z makes this claim because they are more willing than nearly any generation before them to experiment with new flavors.
Gen Z are early adopters
It makes sense if you think about it. Like prior generations, Gen Z are early adopters of new ways of thinking. Whether it’s totally new ideas that never seemed up for debate or simply the food on their plate, young people embrace change and pave the way for the rest of us to see the world through their eyes.
This generation has also grown up “extremely online” as they say. They spend hours scrolling through TikTok, watching home chefs whip up all kinds of recipes hoping theirs will be the next to go TikTok viral. With America’s population getting ever more diverse, it only makes sense that Gen Z would be the first to have access to (and demand) variety in the cuisine they encounter.
Restaurants and colleges and universities now have customers who will no longer accept soda. They want flavor, adventure, and ‘better for you’ and operators are charged with meeting that demand
Everyone loves Indian cuisine
Once a cuisine that seemed exotic, Indian food has fully established itself as mainstream. It might not make sense for every restaurant to start serving Indian cuisine, but there’s often room to add flavors like turmeric and ginger and sides like naan to menus that feature bowls, wraps and vegetarian cuisines.
American customers will welcome it. Our palettes are now accustomed to the unique flavor profile of Indian cuisine. University foodservice operators tell us that their students line up for Indian food when it’s on the menu.
In addition to mom and pop restaurants around the country, Gen Z can choose one of the many fast casual Indian food chains that are growing. There are chains like Curry Up, an Indian street food franchise and Rasa, which puts an Indian spin on the bowl trend. Smaller but growing, Chicago-based Naansense serves up Indian street food and is opening two new locations.
Here’s where All Friends comes in. Our beverage infusions check all of Gen Z’s boxes, and probably some of yours too.
Pairing Focused
As you develop your menus with not just Indian food in mind, but cuisines from all over the world, you can be confident that there will be an All Friends Beverage to take it up a notch. Think Blueberry Chai with a healthy grain bowl, Pineapple Ginger with Korean BBQ and Mango Chili with samosas. Gen Z will love the ability to experiment with their beverage as much as they do in their cuisine.
Function Infused
Gen Z seeks to have food and drink that works for them, and All Friends is up to the task. Our beverages meet the FDA’s standards to be an excellent source of Vitamin C, B3, B5, B6, B12 E, zinc, and selenium—and are also low/no sugar. Finally, we’ve topped it off with added hydration from sodium and potassium electrolytes. These are the functions your customers want with the flavors they crave.
Sustainably Packaged
Your Gen Z and Millennial customers expect all of us to be as sustainably focused as they are. That’s why we kept sustainability in mind with All Friends. Our beverages are packed in fully recyclable, FSC certified paperboard. On top of that, we ship it in a concentrated form, so the 32 oz. carton yields a gallon of product. And Pineapple Ginger uses ingredients that are Fair Trade Certified as well as Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Operator Friendly
Your customers won’t see this benefit, but your staff will. All Friends Beverages are 3×1 concentrates designed for you to simply add water and go. That ensures higher margins with less labor. And it can be used in multiple formats—serve it in a bubbler, a pitcher or simply pour it over water. You can also combine each flavor with others in our lineup .
*Source 1: Food Institute
