The Death of the Side-Dish: Why Beverages are the New QSR Destination

New research shows beverages are becoming the new QSR destination, flipping the burger-first playbook for fast-food brands.

Written by

Lindsay Bennett

For decades, the QSR playbook was simple. The burger (or the nugget, or the chicken sandwich) was the hero. The drink was the plus-one. You came for the meal, you grabbed a fizzy drink on the way through, and the brand banked the upsell.

New research from Ideally suggests that script has flipped.

61% of Gen Z say they'd visit a QSR specifically for a drink.

Not as part of a meal. As the reason for the trip. Compare that to 35% who say burgers are still a top craving, and the inversion is hard to miss. For under-25s, the QSR isn't just a burger joint anymore. It's a beverage destination, a social space, and increasingly a category that competes with cafés as much as it does with other fast-food chains.

That shift matters for two reasons.

The commercial implication: drinks are an order expander

For QSR operators, the visit anchor finding is only half the story. The other half is what happens once Gen Z is through the door.

42% of Gen Z say they'd add a new drink to their existing food order. 27% of 25-to-34-year-olds say they'd pair a new drink with a light snack like a wrap or toastie. That's not just incremental beverage revenue. It's a new snack-time occasion, the one that has historically belonged to cafés, opening up inside the QSR daypart. The brands that get the beverage proposition right are also expanding average transaction value during off-peak hours.

44% of under-25s say a new beverage would make them visit a brand more often.


What it means for innovation teams

‍The opportunity is clear. The risk is moving on the wrong drink. With consumer expectations shifting fast, from texture to functional benefits to identity-led flavour profiles, what landed in market last year may already feel dated. And with so many possible directions, the cost of betting on the wrong concept is real.

This is where fast, continuous consumer testing earns its place. Identifying the hero drink, validating the texture, and pressure-testing the flavour profile at the concept stage means innovation teams can move with conviction instead of guesswork.

Across the 300+ customers that use Ideally, we've seen the beverage shift play out in real time. Boost partnering with St. Ali to match craft coffee expertise with Boost's signature real fruit, made-fresh approach, creating a new take on iced coffee and smoothies. Major QSR chains testing new frozen drink flavours and running cannibalisation analysis ahead of peak summer launches. Others using category intelligence and pricing sensitivity work to figure out how soft drinks fit into occasion-based moments. And, of course, we’ve seen multiple brands run tests to work out how to ride the matcha craze, or weave protein into their drinks menus.

We'll cheers to that.

For decades, the QSR playbook was simple. The burger (or the nugget, or the chicken sandwich) was the hero. The drink was the plus-one. You came for the meal, you grabbed a fizzy drink on the way through, and the brand banked the upsell.

New research from Ideally suggests that script has flipped.

For decades, the QSR playbook was simple. The burger (or the nugget, or the chicken sandwich) was the hero. The drink was the plus-one. You came for the meal, you grabbed a fizzy drink on the way through, and the brand banked the upsell.

New research from Ideally suggests that script has flipped.

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