What Restaurant Brands Need to Know About Cheese Trends

Most food trend predictions these days are influenced by consumer demand for minimally processed foods that are high in protein. Popularity on TikTok doesn’t hurt either. Given all that, it’s no wonder cheese is having a moment.

Take cottage cheese, for instance. Google search traffic for the food rose slightly and steadily from 2004 until early 2023, when it skyrocketed in popularity. Consumer sales data show significant growth for cottage cheese as well, with an 18% increase in sales between February 2024 and February 2025.

Why? The food is low in sugar, high in protein, barely processed, and versatile in recipes. On TikTok, you can find thousands of posts and recipes for cottage cheese toast, dips, pastas, egg bites, and even a viral flatbread made from cottage cheese.

The food is still not all that prevalent on menus, though some brands are exploring salad and protein bowl offerings, like Café Zupas’ Hot Honey Cottage Cheese Bowl, which boasts 40 grams of “protein power.”

How Cheese Is Showing up on the Menu

For a time now, restaurants have been vying for influencers to show off their “cheese pulls” on social media. Chili’s Fried Mozzarella, which is more like a square than a stick, may be the most memorable of the sort, with other restaurants trying to follow suit with big, cheesy flatbreads and burgers. But that trend is passing.

Looking forward, restaurant brands are less focused on “big pulls” and processed cheeses and more focused on unique blends and whipped cheese.

Unique Cheese Blends

The fusion of flavors is always an opportunity to bring new life to an old menu item. Combining local and global cheeses is a storytelling opportunity. Think European-style cheeses made in a small California dairy or imported queso fresco from Mexico, mixed with minced jalapenos.

Research shows growing interest in sweet cheese flavors, such as a cranberry-infused cheddar or gouda, as well as in bold cheese flavors, such as an “everything bagel” spread. The tried-and-true sweet-and-savory flavor combination is ideal for cheese. Blue cheese and honey. Brie and figs. Gouda with a dark chocolate drizzle. The list of possibilities is endless, but the number of restaurant brands that incorporate a little sweetness into an appetizer or a little savory into a dessert is small. We see the sweet-and-savory/salty flavor combo as a trend that will never die and as something restaurant brands should explore more.

Whipped Cheeses

Whipped cheese spreads and dips add a surprise to menus. FDR’s manufacturing partner, Schuman Cheese, has introduced Delve, a line of mascarpone spreads/dips that blend other popular cheeses like Parmesan, feta, and Asiago. Mascarpone has a smooth texture and a mildly sweet and buttery flavor, allowing the flavors of the added cheese and herbs to stand out. An ideal companion for crostini, crepes, or as a dollop atop fish or meat.

Also, be on the lookout for whipped goat, ricotta, feta, and cottage cheeses from various manufacturers.

What Else Is Emerging in Cheese

The demand for specialty or artisanal foods appears to be waning. However, it is evident to us that fewer folks dine out in general. When they do visit restaurants, they expect value. They want to know they are getting something they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) make at home, and cheese can add an upscale feel to many dishes.

Here are a couple other cheese trends we have noticed that present opportunities for restaurant menus:

Spreadable brie – Much like cottage cheese and mascarpone, which are versatile in spreads and sauces, brie shares similar qualities and is increasingly appearing on TikTok. In late 2023, pairing brie with hot honey became a thing, and now we’re seeing more wild pairing videos, like the one claiming brie and Nerds candy go well together. We will take their word for it.

Portable cheese snacks – On the retail side of the food business, snackable cheese products are exploding. Expect to see more cheese crisps, cheese sticks, and high-protein mini cheese bites. For restaurants, a similar product to replace salad croutons or soup crackers would be welcomed.

Sustainability – While not exactly new or trendy, we’d be remiss not to recognize that some consumers want to know where and how a cheese is sourced. Any time you can highlight ethical farming practices, a local food source, or carbon neutrality, grab it.

Final Thoughts

Some say we are entering a golden age of dairy. It’s not just cottage cheese and other spreadable cheeses that are seeing growth. Yogurt and refrigerated butter are seeing a bump, and even dairy milk’s plummeting interest is stabilizing. This article in Dairy Foods states that 70% of dairy executives plan to invest in innovation, a clear indication of more cheese trends to come.