From Starbucks to Smoothie King, restaurants seek to cash in on consumers' protein frenzy

Restaurant chains are joining successful connected the protein frenzy, hoping to promote diners to wage much for other macronutrients during a clip erstwhile galore consumers aren't spending arsenic much.

From "gym bros" to users of GLP-1 drugs similar Ozempic, galore Americans are trying to adhd much macromolecule to their diets, with the extremity of gathering oregon maintaining their musculus wide and feeling much satiated aft meals. Moreover, fare trends that don't stress macromolecule intake, specified arsenic the ketogenic diet, person fallen retired of favor.

"A batch of younger consumers are much proactive astir their wellness habits, truthful they're looking for ways to enactment wellness present but besides to enactment their wellness successful the future," said Julia Mills, a nutrient and portion expert for marketplace probe steadfast Mintel. "Generation Alpha, Gen Z, millennials — these consumers are precise progressive connected societal media, truthful they're perpetually being fed this connection that you request much protein, and macromolecule helps you summation musculus and makes you stronger."

Roughly a 3rd of consumers said they loved precocious macromolecule successful the 2nd 4th of 2025, up from 24% 3 years ago, according to Datassential, which tracks edifice menus and user preferences.

The inclination has fueled a macromolecule takeover successful market store aisles, from protein-packed Eggo waffles to Khloe Kardashian's Khloud macromolecule popcorn.

But it's besides hitting the menus of restaurants that are seeking ways to promote diners to wage for premium nutrient and drinks.

Take Starbucks, for example. The java elephantine said successful precocious July that it volition rotation retired a acold foam packed with 15 grams of macromolecule aboriginal this year; the regular acold foam add-on typically costs customers an other $1.25 per drink. The caller foam comes arsenic the chain's U.S. sales person been shrinking for the past twelvemonth arsenic java drinkers brew their java astatine location oregon question retired trendier options.

Rival Dutch Bros launched a macromolecule java successful aboriginal 2024 and charges customers an other $1 for the customization. The paper summation fueled beardown same-store income maturation and profits for the upstart chain.

Eateries are seeking to pull diners similar Jared Hutkowski, a 42-year-old manager of brokerage successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He works retired six days a week and tries to deed his regular macromolecule extremity to amended his physique and wide health. When helium dines out, helium tries to maximize his protein, though helium sometimes goes for pizza anyway.

"The biggest origin is what I americium successful the temper for that day, and past I usually effort and prime a repast that has a slightest a serving of immoderate benignant of macromolecule successful it," Hutkowski said.

This year, 28.4% of U.S. edifice menus telephone retired "protein," up from 5.9% a decennary ago, according to Datassential. And the inclination looks similar it has staying power. Datassential predicts that by 2029, much than 40% of eateries volition item macromolecule connected their menus.

"Protein is 1 of those things that's ne'er been vilified, due to the fact that nary one's ever said that eating excessively overmuch macromolecule tin beryllium atrocious for you," Mintel's Mills said.

In the abbreviated term, consuming much macromolecule than your assemblage needs apt won't origin wellness issues, but successful the agelong term, it could origin kidney problems, according to Diane Han, a registered dietitian based successful San Francisco and the laminitis of Woking Balance Wellness.

The recommended regular magnitude of macromolecule intake varies by assemblage value but is astir 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For restaurants, protein's measurement alteration happened respective years ago. In 2021, macromolecule lone had a paper penetration of 11.5%; by 2022, much than a 4th of edifice menus utilized the term, based connected Datassential data. That year, Dine Brands' IHOP, for example, introduced pancakes with 18 grams of macromolecule per flapjack.

Fast-casual eateries are the edifice conception astir apt to telephone retired macromolecule connected their menus, acknowledgment to the communal signifier of asking customers to prime their macromolecule oregon offering to treble their portion, according to Datassential.

Fast-casual crockery concatenation Sweetgreen introduced a enactment of "protein plates" successful precocious 2023 arsenic portion of an effort to present much hearty options for meal customers. The paper summation has helped the institution turn its meal concern from 35% of income to astir 40%, executives said successful March.

Many restaurants are besides leaning into U.S. consumers' tendency for convenience. Accessibility whitethorn beryllium wherefore Datassential recovered that consumers thin to similar protein-packed beverages.

For Smoothie King, macromolecule has been a paper staple since its founding much than 50 years ago. But successful October, the concatenation took 1 measurement further, launching a paper aimed astatine consumers who instrumentality GLP-1 drugs for value nonaccomplishment oregon diabetes. The accelerated value nonaccomplishment that tin hap from the medications tin origin musculus wide to drop, truthful doctors often counsel patients to summation their macromolecule intake to support their muscle.

"It's a convenient, on-the-go mode to get successful your macromolecule that you're looking for successful your diet," said Lori Primavera, Smoothie King's vice president of probe and improvement and merchandise marketing.

Many restaurants are besides choosing to item existing protein-packed options, alternatively than adding caller paper items that would dilatory down kitchens oregon adhd to overmuch complexity to their operations.

For example, Panda Express introduced its ain macromolecule plates earlier this year. The line, created successful concern with a registered dietitian, includes pre-existing paper items but packages them arsenic a balanced meal, highlighting macromolecule and fibre content.

Chipotle Mexican Grill employed a akin strategy backmost successful 2019 erstwhile it introduced "lifestyle bowls," marketed to acceptable antithetic dietary goals, similar the paleo fare oregon offering treble protein.

Likewise, successful July, Chick-fil-A enactment the spotlight connected its ain high-protein options successful a company blog, highlighting its grilled nuggets and the Cool Wrap, which features a grilled chickenhearted breast, food and lettuce successful a tortilla.

But for the eateries that privation to adhd caller paper items, nachos with a prime of protein, restaurant-made macromolecule bars and ovum dishes that item precocious macromolecule contented are each progressively fashionable options, according to Datassential trendologist Claire Conaghan.

Eggs are 1 crushed wherefore breakfast, brunch and luncheon eatery First Watch has ever been "protein forward," CEO Chris Tomasso told CNBC. The concatenation hasn't adjusted its paper specifically to code consumers' request for much protein, but TikTok influencers person highlighted however to bid a high-protein repast erstwhile visiting its restaurants.

"We anticipation that continues to beryllium a inclination due to the fact that we're close down the mediate of the fairway connected that," Tomasso said.

Of course, macromolecule isn't the lone mode to triumph implicit health-conscious consumers. Hutkowski said his superior contented with eating astatine restaurants is that astir of the nutrient is cooked successful oils, food and dense greases that rapidly adhd to his intake of fats for the day.

"A edifice uncovering cleaner ways to navigator would beryllium overmuch much charismatic to maine than overly loaded macromolecule dishes," helium said.