Flavor Experience 2025

Top row, left to right: Global innovation strategist and industry heavyweight Luigi Bonini underscored the importance of “authentic intelligence” in the age of A.I. Damascus Bakeries’ Suzanne Maxwell (left) and Melissa Shore (right) showcased Mediterranean Grilled Veggie Sandos and Charcuterie Melt Sliders. Grace Bryan, CEO of Juicy Brick, took the stage to discuss the power of sprint innovation—a rapid, reactive and consumer-led approach to menu innovation. Bottom row, left to right: Cathy Nash Holley, President of Flavor Experience and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Flavor & The Menu, talked with Smoking Tiger Founder Noah Cho about the brand’s origin story, its modern marketing strategy, and how it’s helping to define the growing Korean café category. The National Watermelon Promotion Board offered up a Fresh Watermelon and Rind Salad with mint and black sesame tahini sauce on a pistachio baklava cracker. 

The 2025 Flavor Experience took place in August in Newport Beach, Calif., showcasing three days of flavor trends and consumer insights, along with food and beverage inspiration—all aimed at giving high-volume menu developers a roadmap to menu success in 2026 and beyond. Presented by Flavor & The Menu magazine, this singular annual event explores the ever-evolving world of flavor, marking more than two decades of inspiring innovation in foodservice.