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The 8 fastest growing small businesses in food, restaurants and beverages for 2026

On this shift, small food and beverage businesses are leading across restaurants, packaged goods, catering and specialty retail as the U.S. food-and-beverage landscape moves toward wellness and global flavors.
With wellness rising, the National Restaurant Association says flavor without sacrificing nutrition is growing, while about one in eight American adults using GLP-1 medications shifts demand for weight-management foods.
Sourdough's revival shows it has moved from home baking to mainstream menus with gut-health benefits, while bakery tourism grows and DoorDash reports 80% order low-/no-alcohol drinks alongside alcohol but 32% find options lacking.
Online catering is becoming a fast-growing entry point for small food business owners, while ezCater reports over 53% of corporate buyers plan to increase their catering budgets, creating scalable revenue.
Premiumization is shaping consumer willingness to pay for unique items, as major brands and retailers launch upcycled lines while social platforms and cultural figures boost indie products' authenticity.

Insights by Ground AI