Sometimes a trend takes off that utterly captures the zeitgeist, defining a cultural mood. Enter the hi-lo phenomenon. Perfectly reflecting the sensibility of today’s diner, it combines the opulence of high-end ingredients with the approachability of low-brow items. The humble potato chip topped with luxurious caviar was early on the scene here, thrust into pop culture after going viral on social media. The combination has resonated with consumers, ushering in more caviar-centric hi-lo items.

Viral moments like caviar on a potato chip can quickly peter out, but this one has staying power, fueling a larger trend that’s rich with opportunity. What’s driving that momentum? The desire by today’s consumer for small luxuries cannot be understated. We’re seeing a spike in the “small reward” mentality, tempered by cautious purchasing behavior thanks to an unstable economic outlook. Gen Z, in particular, leads the pack as the generation that embraces little luxuries wrapped in comfort.

“The hi-lo trend represents a sophisticated evolution of the broader comfort-food movement or ‘comfort-plus,’ combining luxury ingredients with everyday staples to create novel dining experiences,” says Liz Moskow, food futurist and consultant. “This trend capitalizes on the contrast between premium and familiar. It’s all about balancing the familiar with the unexpected, adding a luxurious or surprising element to otherwise simple and comforting dishes.” She points to how the hi-lo trend reflects a deeper culinary progression. “Post-pandemic, consumers initially embraced classic comfort foods, seeking reassurance in the familiar. Gradually, their tastes have shifted toward comfort-plus: taking a simple base and enhancing it with an innovative or premium twist. The hi-lo concept is not just about elevating a dish but about storytelling and blending heritage with indulgence.”

Credit: Hsing Chen

Savory Golden Caviar Churros are filled with crème fraîche and topped with Ossetra caviar at Chicago’s Asador Bastian.

Another prime driver behind the hi-lo movement is its Insta-ready status, giving diners an irresistible combo of familiar—and often nostalgic—dishes adorned with unexpected opulence. At Eight Bar in Chicago, the deeply nostalgic and utterly familiar mozzarella stick gets a clever hi-lo treatment: a super-sized crispy mozzarella stick is fried to perfection and topped with Kaluga caviar, crème fraîche and chives.

Of course, a menu strategy centered on high-impact ingredients is not new to foodservice. But today’s hi-lo trend introduces a playful tone while raising the stakes on how luxury ingredients can coexist with pedestrian fare. “Familiar-with-a-twist has long been a menu strategy in democratizing high-end trends and making them available to everyone, and this feels like the latest iteration of that approach. We’re just pushing higher on the high-end ingredients,” says Jeff Miller, founder and co-CEO of Cutting Edge Innovation, a foodservice consultancy. “Additionally, there has been an overall trend of making fine dining more approachable or casual, so it pulls from both directions.” Sens, a French-Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco, celebrates hi-lo every Friday night with its Fried Chicken and Champagne promotion. Fried chicken, served with rosemary honey and house hot sauce, is paired with a refreshing glass of bubbles. Delilah, a modern American restaurant with locations in Miami, Los Angeles and
Las Vegas, blends luxury with nostalgia in its Pigs in a Blanket, featuring a Wagyu beef hot dog paired with honey mustard and cornichons.

Credit: Delilah

Delilah in Miami blends luxury with nostalgia in its Pigs in a Blanket featuring a Wagyu beef hot dog paired with honey mustard and cornichons.

FRAMING THE OPPORTUNITY

There’s a world of fun pairings begging to be explored through a hi-lo approach. Driving momentum is the approachability factor: The “lo” ingredients lean toward fan favorites like burgers, sandwiches, chicken tenders, fries and other tried-and-true menu staples. Alex Sadowsky, director of culinary, beverage and menu innovation for sports bar chain Twin Peaks, shares how he views the opportunity through a full-service lens. “It’s chicken nuggets and caviar with a little bit of crème fraîche. It’s crazy-cool fried chicken and Champagne or high-end sparkling wine paired with different flavors of potato chips. And I don’t mean homemade or fancy chips. I think you go and get the Lay’s and the Pringles and create a grazing board of all the different potato chips with high-end sparkling wine to go along with it,” he says.

In fact, the hi-lo trend is ideally suited for a brand like Twin Peaks. “As a national chain, we’re always trying to push into that gastro-pub realm. Playing with hi-lo helps us get there,” he says. “Currently, we’re looking at adding truffle. I think that we’re to the point where it’s a mature enough trend that truffle is absolutely going to happen for us. We are also trying to figure out caviar, maybe doing an old-school French onion dip topped with a little caviar.” That approach connects nicely with nostalgia, a winning play for today’s consumer.

Credit: Jonathan Boncek

The Royale with Cheese at The Restaurant at Zero George in Charleston, S.C., is designed to deliver comfort and indulgence in equal measure. It features Wagyu beef, caramelized onion and black winter truffles, along with a playful Kraft Singles fondue. Service in to-go style aluminum foil brings home the “hi-lo” messaging.

The Restaurant at Zero George, an upscale eatery in Charleston, S.C., showcases the hi-lo trend in burger form. Its Royale with Cheese is designed to be both indulgent and comforting. Made with Wagyu beef and topped with caramelized onions, black winter truffles and a playful Kraft Singles fondue, this burger strikes a balance between luxury and fun, served in a foil wrap to help anchor the “lo” side of the equation. “What could be more satisfying than a nostalgic comfort food taken to the next level?” says Vinson Petrillo, executive chef.

Across the country, Mendocino Farms, a fast casual based in El Segundo, Calif., uses a clever menu name to help convey the hi-lo sensibility in its Black Tie Turkey Club, featuring shaved, roasted turkey breast, nitrate-free applewood-smoked bacon, Havarti cheese, white truffle aïoli, pickled red onions and arugula. “It’s a value proposition play for us,” says Jeremy Bringardner, Mendocino Farms’ corporate executive chef. “As a fast casual, we’re doing sandwiches, salads and bowls. So, it’s already pedestrian, everyday kind of food. I’m constantly trying to find ways to take this ‘low’ format and make it feel ‘high.’ Today’s hi-lo trend is a perfect place for us to explore and leverage.”