Using food and drink to win consumers’ time, attention and spend
09 September 2026 | Shannon GoldsmithAs consumers prioritise experiences, food and drink are playing a growing role in helping venues differentiate and capture a greater share of spend.
The away from home market faces fierce competition for consumers’ time, attention and spending. Operators aren’t just competing with each other for occasions, but also with delivery and meal solutions that make it easier to stay at home. The away from home market faces the challenge of encouraging consumers to leave home.
The experience divide is one of the three defining themes shaping the future of the away from home market. Consumers are becoming increasingly selective about where they spend their money and time. While value remains important, it is not defined by price alone. Consumers are looking for experiences that feel social, memorable and immersive, with the emphasis varying by generation.
Operators are responding by creating experiences that extend beyond food and drink, instead making them an integral part of the overall occasion. Our latest report looks global innovation in the away from home market and demonstrates how the experience divide is a global theme, with operators across the world enhancing the experiences they offer.
Experience becoming the product
For many consumers, particularly younger generations, the appeal of eating out extends beyond the meal itself. Consumers are seeking experiences worth sharing, in person and on social media. Restaurants are having to compete with concerts, sporting events, travel and leisure for discretionary spend.
This is particularly evident in fine dining, with concepts such as Mater1a, Trillium and Row on 5 reimagining the traditional fine dining experience for younger audiences by making it more accessible, interactive and social. While high-quality food remains central, the broader experience is equally important. Mater1a creates a youthful atmosphere with a sensory introduction to the dishes, with the tone set by a DJ.
Consumers are willing to spend on experiences that they cannot replicate at home. As food and drink becomes less central to some occasions, experiences that surprise, entertain and create memorable moments are becoming more valuable.
Serving as a community platform
As more aspects of everyday life move online, there is growing value in physical spaces that bring people together around shared interests. This is allowing hospitality operators to position themselves as community hubs rather than just transactional venues.
One example is AGI Bar in Beijing, which has built its proposition around being a space for AI developers, investors and students to meet and network. By buying a drink, consumers get access to coding tokens through the bar’s Wi-Fi, giving them yet another reason to visit.
Long-term loyalty is driven by emotional connection rather than solely transactional value. Operators that build communities around common interests will be better placed to create lasting relevance.
Upweighting the role of food and drink in non-food venues
While food-focused venues are looking to upweight the experience, venues that aren’t primarily focused on food and drink are looking to upweight these elements. In these settings, such as visiting an attraction or travelling through an airport, food and drink have traditionally been seen as a supporting or optional part of the experience but are now starting to play a more central role.
At RHS Garden Wisley, food has become part of the visitor experience. A new partnership with Restaurant Associates Venues has introduced new dining concepts and immersive hospitality experiences, such as seasonal tasting events that combine food with storytelling around ingredients and the gardens.
Food and drink can help non-food venues create new occasions, differentiate from competitors and increase the value of every visit. Those that successfully integrate hospitality into the wider experience will be better positioned to capture a greater share of consumer spend.
Implications for operators
Differentiate through experience, not just product. Consumers expect memorable, immersive experiences. Use storytelling, local relevance, personalisation and participation to make food and drink a more engaging part of the overall visit.
Create commercial value beyond admissions or ticket sales. A stronger food and drink proposition can increase spend per visit, extend dwell time and unlock incremental revenue streams, helping operators diversify income sources.
Build new occasions through hospitality. Generate demand through events, seasonal experiences and social moments that encourage repeat visits.
Implications for suppliers
Develop venue-specific propositions. Create products, formats and ranges tailored to each environment rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Help operators create unique reasons to visit. Support operators with exclusive products, limited editions, themed activations and experiential food and drink concepts that add distinctiveness to the venue experience.
Position food and drink as part of the wider experience. Support operators with solutions that enhance storytelling, local relevance, social occasions and consumer engagement.