Protein is in, according to McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski.
Helming the Fortune 500 fast food giant, valued at over $200 billion, Kempczinski has a pulse on the up-and-coming trends of the the types of food attracting consumers.
“Things are always changing,” Kempczinski said in an Instagram video to his over 20,000 followers this week. “I love to sit with the team and make predictions about what we think is going to come in the year ahead.”
Here are the his top three trend predictions for the quick-service restaurant industry:
More protein on the menu
Social media is full of advice on making protein-packed meals, like TikTok’s viral “dense bean salad” and “cowboy caviar” recipes.
“Protein is hot,” said Kempczinski. “Everybody is into protein.”
While the protein hype may be just that, as experts say people who meet their caloric needs tend to get enough protein already, Kempczinski predicts more people will be eager to up their intake.
“Protein is going to be a big trend that you see with people looking to get increased protein consumption,” he said.
The chain, which plans to hit 50,000 restaurants by 2027, is capitalizing on their chicken items and annonced this month that they’re bringing back chicken strips and snack wraps.
AI integration
Kempczinski says the industry is ripe for innovations in AI.
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“AI certainly has a lot of applications in our business,” he said. “We’ve got a number of teams looking at how we can use AI to deliver am even better experience for our customers, an even better experience for our crew members.”
Sweet and spicy flavors
Bland is out and condiment lovers are in luck, says Kempczinski, who predicts “sauces are also going to be a big thing in my estimation for 2025.”
While customers of the world’s most popular fast food restaurant have had their pick of the litter of sauces at the checkout counter (BBQ, please), Kempczinski says hot sauce and sweet sauce fans will be catered to specifically.
“Spicy is certainly always in,” he said. “I think you might see some honey or some sweet stuff in.”
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