Specialty specialties

The rise of specialty products, restaurants and venues has been an interesting phenomenon for the food sector in recent years. A trend that, although it initially seemed aimed at an exclusive niche, has evolved into a genuine cultural movement that reflects deeper changes in consumer habits.

This devotion to specific products — such as Lotus biscuits, avocado, pistachios, sauces and so on — has led to a proliferation of specialised businesses built around a single ingredient. Venues that not only want to offer a different food experience, but also seek to educate consumers and build a fan community around the product.

A movement in which social media, especially TikTok, has played a decisive role as an amplifier of these trends.

Going viral has created very high peaks in demand, causing many of these products to sell out in record time and restaurants to have endless waiting lists.

However, this search for product exclusivity does not happen in an economic vacuum. The current context, marked by rising prices, has influenced how people choose and value food, turning certain products into cult objects.

A scenario that has opened up opportunities for large restaurant and food chains, which have managed to capitalise on interest in these viral products by adding them to their menus and shelves, bringing the food debate into the economic environment that is redefining consumers’ relationship with food.