During Alimentaria & Hostelco 2026, Europe’s leading food & hospitality event, which brought together over 109,000 professionals in Barcelona, it became certain that growth in F&B is no longer about attracting more people. Nowadays, growth happens in how, when, and why people consume.

Players like Circana, Burger King, KFC, AmRest, and AENA, agree in the idea that this is no longer a food business. It’s about experience, context, and moments.

Growth doesn’t come from traffic anymore

For years, the equation was quite simple: more visits meant more growth. But that logic no longer applies.

In the U.S., traffic is flat or slightly declining, while iIn Europe, it’s down by around 0.9%. And yet, growth still exists and is now driven by average ticket size, consumption occasions, and experience.

The key is making every interaction more valuable.

Brands are now competing through moments

Growth is expanding far beyond lunch and dinner and it’s happening in everything else: brunch, mid-morning, snacking, quick or spontaneous consumption. Even retail is capturing a significant share of these moments.

And brands are now competing for occasions, which explains why out-of-home consumption isn’t growing, but competition is.

One of the most powerful data points from the event was that in the U.S., 45% of visits are for beverages only, while in Europe, that number is just 14%. A massive, direct, and still underexplored opportunity, not just as a product, but as an occasion, a reason to visit, and a driver of ticket size.

How has the F&B consumer changed in 2026?

Consumer behavior is increasingly driven by context. They’ve shifted from price, habit, and loyalty to exploration, variety, and lighter options. Smaller portions, shared consumption, “eating better” instead of “eating more.”

This breaks rigid operating models and forces brands to design for flexibility.

Europe is growing fast, but not necessarily better

Europe is growing faster (~6.5% CAGR), but it’s far more fragmented: about 45% chains vs. 78% in the U.S.

More expansion, less efficiency. There’s demand, but still a lack of sophistication in standardization, consistent experience, and monetizing occasions.

What happens when experience is no longer a differentiator but a requirement?

When traffic declines, consumer spending tightens, and competition increases, the product alone is no longer enough. The differentiator becomes experience, execution, and consistency.

In airports, for example, reorganizing passenger flow can increase ticket size by up to 20%. But the experience doesn’t start at the venue, it starts with how you get there. As summarized in the QSR panel: “Competition is no longer about money, but about creativity”.

For example, QSR focuses on cultural campaigns; casual dining on operational consistency; travel retail on flow design and context.

Is your experience designed, or is it accidental? 

If the industry is shifting toward experience, context, and moments, the real question is: is your experience intentionally designed or just happening?

Because if your campaign is engaging, your brand is culturally relevant, and your space is well designed, but your experience doesn’t align, then part of the business is failing.

This is where music begins to shape how long people stay, how much they spend, and how they perceive the brand. 

A study by HUI Research found that restaurants with brand-aligned music increased sales by over 9%. For example, Brandtrack clients like KS Depor saw a 14% increase in average ticket using Smart Playlists that adapt music in real time based on traffic, time of day, and context.

Experience should be executed through every single detail.