Toss out the rules. Set aside well-worn beliefs. Make room for the new kids on the block. Millennials may be the prized target of the moment for marketers, but Gen Z is not-so-silently waiting in the wings, poised to make their own mark and blaze their own trail in contemporary lifestyles and food culture.
For some time now, we’ve been documenting the transformation of food culture and how the macro factors have combined to create a modern food culture that is marked by fragmentation — a blurring of boundaries, an upending of rituals and the deconstruction of formerly idealized traditions. Gen Z is growing up and coming of age in this era of disruption and upending of tradition. They have the keys to changing their lives and getting to a better place.
Already at about a quarter of the US population, Gen Z is projected to eclipse millennials in size. Yet sheer size alone is not the only determinant that distinguishes Gen Z from other generations. While there are already many predictions out there as to how this youngest generation of the U.S. will act, here’s what we know now about this generation that is poised to disrupt the food and beverage marketplace…