Trends come and go, but the espresso martini is forever: Top 10 Charlotte food trends in 2025
Having dipped my toes in Charlotte’s restaurant industry, working every position from hostess to bartender, I’ve seen firsthand how dining trends can come and go. As new fads emerge, some taking hold stronger than others, one thing is certain: The landscape of Charlotte’s restaurant scene is constantly evolving.
So, what does 2025 have in store for Charlotte diners? Trend forecasting requires a delicate balance between analyzing the data and understanding your demographic. One size does not fit all. It also helps to have boots on the ground, i.e. I see a lot of these trends in action every Friday and Saturday night that I’m at work.
Using data from OpenTable’s 2025 Dining Predictions alongside the National Restaurant Association’s 2025 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, we’ve highlighted the trends to look out for this year. We also spoke to some local restaurateurs about their predictions for 2025.
The rise of the martini
Espresso martinis are like fajitas: as soon as a table sees one go out, everyone wants one. They’re contagious. The National Restaurant Association predicts ’90s-style cocktails like espresso martinis and apple-tinis will have a strong presence in 2025.
“I think chocolate and coffee are going to be big this year again,” said Stefan Huebner, owner of the speakeasy Dot Dot Dot. “It’s kind of their chocolate cycle again. It’s about every five years, and it’s been a hot minute since everybody had a really good chocolate martini. We all love them. They just kind of became faux pas for a little bit. I think they’re due for a comeback.”
Aside from sweet martinis, I’ve noticed a trend toward savory martinis, with more orders for dirty martinis, Gibsons (onion martinis) and even the occasional pickle martini.
Experience-based dining events gaining popularity
Diners are statistically seeking experiential dining, be it omakase, tasting menus, cooking classes or events like NoDa restaurant Artisan’s Palate Women of Whiskey dinner series, a monthly event that highlights women distillers.
“ I think people in 2024 were definitely cautious with their money,” Artisan’s Palate owner and chef Christa Csoka said. “I think the election had a lot to do with that. As soon as the election was over we immediately saw more reservations being made and more people attending Women of Whiskey.”
The interactive series pairs cocktails made with spirits distilled by women, small plates prepared by Csoka and a history lesson all in one.
“ It’s interesting because there was a time where it felt like people just wanted to go to dinner and not be bothered,” Csoka said. “But now it seems like they do want that interaction.”
Smaller, chef-forward menus
The National Restaurant Association says smaller, streamlined menus are in. And I gotta say, I agree. Gone are the days of multi-paged menus with endless options. In a mid-sized city like Charlotte, with a small-but bustling culinary scene, Charlotte diners are expecting a less is more approach from their menus.
Restaurant goers are now seeking smaller, more stream-lined menus that reflect the chef who designed it. Think spots like Restaurant Constance, a new-ish Wesley Heights restaurant owned by chef Sam Diminich whose dedication to hyper-local, farm-to-table fare is unmatched. Or the intimate, dimly-lit, ever-romantic Customshop in the Elizabeth neighborhood, owned and operated by chef Andres Kaifer. What do these two places have in common? Small, curated menus.
Perhaps in a world of endless choices, we’re craving more simplistic dining options going into 2025.
Non-alcoholic cocktails are here to stay
Data shows that young adults across the U.S. are drinking significantly less alcohol than in previous decades. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or prefer the “zebra stripping” method — a drinking strategy in which you alternate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages — one thing is certain: Mocktail menus are on the rise.
“When you look at the data, the kids are not drinking like their parents did,” Huebner said. “So having these options for a younger demographic is important.”
As for why younger generations are drinking less, it’s unclear. Regardless, Charlotte restaurants are responding.
”For whatever reason, people are either wanting to drink less or they’re drinking, but they’re just being more mindful about it,” said Ashley Sarkis, beverage director for the South End restaurant Yunta Nikkei.
Yunta is one of the top mocktail destinations in the U.S., according to Yelp.
“I think at one point the non-alcoholics made up about 6 percent of our sales,” Sarkis said. “It might be more than that now.”
Take yourself on a date in 2025
Social anxiety, be gone! OpenTable reports that solo dining is up 10 percent. So, if you’re worried about eating alone, don’t be. A lot of people do it.
“ I see a lot of solo people at my bar,” Sarkis said about Yunta. “ The culture in this city is young professionals. I think a lot of them are more apt to do things on their own.”
When we asked CharlotteFive readers a few months ago for the best solo dining spots in Charlotte, 11 of your recommendations stood out, including restaurants Alexander Michael’s, Jinya and Monarch Market.
Mid-week dining is all the rage
Break up the week by dining out on a Wednesday night, as opposed to a Friday or a Saturday. Mid-week dining is trending, with Wednesday seeing an increase by 11 percent, OpenTable reports.
“In the Charlotte market, you’re seeing such growth in the city that we’re still seeing significant growth in restaurant openings,” Huebner said. “We’re in a spot where there are too many seats for the number of people going out. The diner might think, ‘I can’t ever get a reservation.’ Well, you might not get a reservation on Saturday at 7:30, but if you walk into any restaurant on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, you can walk right in.”
Drink flights
The National Restaurant Association reveals that cocktail flights are on the rise. Whether it’s a flight of beer, martinis, mimosas, or, in Yunta’s case, pisco (a Peruvian-style brandy), this popular way to serve alcohol is gaining traction.
“ We do a pisco sour flight and we do our pisco flight, so you can try all all four of the different styles of pisco,” Sarkis said.
Dot Dot Dot also offers a single barrel whiskey flight, giving guests the chance to sample three of the speakeasy’s privately barreled bourbons.
Asian cuisine gaining traction in Charlotte
In the past two years, Charlotte has seen the opening of two international food halls with a focus in Asian cuisine, Alley 51 and Urban District Market in NoDa.
Additionally, spots like The Dumpling Lady, a popular Sichuan-style food-truck-turned-food-stall, have expanded to multiple locations including one in South End, Optimist Hall, and now the Alley at the Latta Arcade.
Maneki, a Japanese concept from James Beard Award finalist chef Sam Hart, is soon to follow in the Latta Arcade, as well.
Fermentation is not just for beer
While Asian food is on the rise in Charlotte, so too are fermented foods. The National Restaurant Association claims that the top flavors and condiments for 2025 will include: hot honey, fermented/pickled foods, matcha, miso and spicy maple. Fermented foods not only are tasty, but also have gut-health benefits: think kombucha (local breweries like Lenny Boy Brewing Co., produce it), kimchi and more.
Locally sourced ingredients are a priority for Charlotte diners
Charlotteans (and restaurant diners across the nation) care more about locally grown ingredients and healthy, more sustainable eating options — whether that’s farm-to-table meat, fish, veggies, or even locally brewed beer and distilled spirits than ever before.
“I definitely have noticed that people are asking more questions,” Csoka said about the cuisine at Artisan’s Palate. “That’s kind of exciting because that’s why we do what we do. We want to feed people good food, that’s good for them.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
