Food & Beverage

Food and beverage PR is the work of building trust for products people eat and drink, from packaged snacks and soft drinks to beer, wine and restaurant chains. Because the product goes into the body, food safety and supply problems turn into reputation problems fast. In 2026 the job also covers tariff swings, restaurant closures, creator-led menu launches and whether AI engines still name a brand as the best in its category.

Signature stat: Sweetgreen, Panera and Chipotle still rank near the top of 5WPR Research's AI citation index for restaurants, yet all three reported declining same-store sales in 2025. Source: Fast Casual AI Citation Cliff

What does food and beverage PR cover?

Food and beverage PR covers four business types that share one trust problem: packaged food, beverages, restaurants and agriculture. Each type answers to different regulators and reaches buyers through different channels.

Alcohol is the most regulated segment. EPR's guide to what makes wine and spirits PR different explains how distribution law and responsible-drinking codes shape every campaign.

Which restaurant brands do AI engines cite most?

AI engines still name long-established brands as category leaders, even when sales slip. 5WPR Research's ranking of the top 25 U.S. restaurant chains by AI citation share found Chipotle remains the default answer for "best fast-casual" and "best burrito" queries across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Sweetgreen holds the "best salad chain" answer.

The sales picture differs. Per the same research, Chipotle's same-store sales turned negative in late 2025, Sweetgreen reported an 11.5% decline in the fourth quarter, and Panera's sales fell 3% in 2025 after a 5% drop the year before. AI answers draw on years of published coverage, so a brand's citation position can outlast its current performance.

5WPR Research also found that fast casual's citation share started shrinking in 2024, 12 to 18 months before the 2025 sales declines. That timing suggests restaurant marketers can track AI citation share as an early warning, alongside same-store sales and foot traffic.

Where is growth in food and beverage right now?

Growth is concentrated in narrow, specialized concepts rather than broad menus. According to 5WPR Research, five brands (Wingstop, Cinnabon, Chipotle, 7 Brew and Jersey Mike's) accounted for 45% of new U.S. restaurant openings in 2025. Coffee, chicken and beverage or snack concepts made up 83% of all new openings.

Cava grew sales 22% in 2025 and is now the AI default answer for "best Mediterranean chain." Raising Cane's passed $4 billion in U.S. system-wide sales with a single-item menu. The pattern is that a brand known for one thing earns clearer AI citations than a brand known for many things.

What is changing in food and beverage communications?

Five shifts are changing how food and beverage brands communicate. Each links to a detailed EPR case.

Restaurant chains are shrinking in public

Closures and bankruptcies now arrive with a public narrative attached. True Food Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 on October 4, 2026, closing 12 restaurants and keeping 34 open, as EPR reports in True Food Kitchen Bankruptcy. EPR's Starbucks vs. Coffee Bean vs. Caribou comparison tracks 250 more Starbucks closures. A chain that explains a closure before the press does keeps more control of the story.

Trade policy changes faster than campaigns

Tariffs on imported wine and spirits changed three times in a single year, and a Supreme Court ruling struck one down before a replacement took effect within weeks. EPR's wine tariffs trade communications playbook shows how importers explain price changes to distributors and buyers.

Growth inside a portfolio can hide decline

Parent companies now report one brand rising while another falls. At Celsius Holdings, Alani Nu sales rose 21% while the Celsius brand fell 12%, per EPR's Celsius Holdings strategy analysis. Modelo still leads U.S. beer by dollar sales according to Constellation Brands, but EPR's Modelo challengers report shows Michelob Ultra leading by volume and Pacifico climbing.

Creators now launch menu items

Restaurant chains are handing menu launches to creators. A Dunkin' creator drink lifted the chain's app downloads 57%, according to EPR's Dunkin' PR strategy breakdown. The creator brings an audience on launch day, and the brand keeps the app user afterward.

AI-generated advertising draws backlash

Big beverage brands testing AI-made ads face public criticism. EPR's Coca-Cola marketing strategy analysis covers the AI ad backlash alongside the brand's World Cup campaign and a Zero Sugar redesign, as Q2 volume rose 5%.

What works in food and beverage PR now?

Food and beverage programs hold up when the brand prepares for a safety or business crisis before it happens and gives AI engines clear, current facts. The table below lists the moves that matter most.

Food and beverage coverage map

Restaurants

• Fast casual AI citation cliff

• Top 25 restaurant chains by AI citation share

• Restaurant PR guide

• Dunkin' PR strategy

• Subway franchise PR

• Starbucks vs. Coffee Bean vs. Caribou

• True Food Kitchen bankruptcy

• Cipriani hospitality brand

Beverages

• Coca-Cola marketing strategy

• 7Up marketing and agencies

• Celsius Holdings strategy

Beer, wine and spirits

• Beer PR and marketing

• Modelo and its challengers

• Dos Equis and the Most Interesting Man

• Wine and spirits PR

• Wine tariffs trade communications

Snacks and packaged food

• Candy and ice cream marketing campaigns

• Chocolate Wars: Hershey and Cadbury

• Mars marketing strategy after Kellanova

See also: Hospitality · Consumer Goods (CPG) · Retail & eCommerce