Smoothies, bubble tea lead 2026 campus beverage demand
High protein meals are the top dining preference among college students in 2026, according to Chartwells Higher Education’s 2026 Campus Dining Index, a national survey of students, faculty and staff across 231 campuses.
How do campus dining trends influence workplace breakrooms and micro markets?
- Today’s students are tomorrow’s employees. Most college students aren’t regular users of workplace break rooms yet, but they’re building food-and-beverage expectations that they will bring with them as they enter full-time jobs.
- For many college students, campus dining is a training ground for self-serve habits. Students living autonomously on campuses normalize grab-and-go, mobile ordering and quick-decision merchandising (coolers, kiosks, convenience retail).
- While functional beverages already have their place in workplace breakrooms, that demand is unlikely to abate. Routine, convenient access to smoothies, energy and electrolyte drinks, and “benefit-led” options set the stage as Gen Z moves into the workplace. They’ll expect breakroom sets to support productivity and wellness.
For the first time, the 2026 index separated food and beverage preferences, showing that students want more global flavors and more drinks focused on energy and wellness.
On the food side, students’ top requests included pho and ramen (29%), authentic Mexican cuisine (24%), sushi (22%), pastas and mac and cheese bars (21%), and sweet treats (20%), according to Chartwells.
On the beverage side, smoothies ranked first at 45%, followed by bubble tea (26%), energy drinks (24%), electrolyte drinks (22%) and specialty teas (22%). Chartwells said students also reported growing interest in beverages with functional benefits, including caffeine, electrolytes and prebiotics.
Chartwells said the 2026 Campus Dining Index was fielded online in October 2025 and drew 107,106 completed responses, including 93,305 students, 7,916 faculty and staff, and 5,885 visitors or other participants.
About the Author
Linda Becker
Editor-in-Chief
Linda Becker is editor-in-chief of Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com. She has more than 20 years of experience in B2B publishing, writing, editing and producing content for magazines, websites, webinars, podcasts, newsletters and eBooks, primarily for manufacturing and process engineering audiences. Since joining Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com, Linda has developed a new appreciation for the convenience services industry and the essential role it plays. She is dedicated to serving readers by covering the latest news in the vending, office coffee service and micro market industry. She can be reached at 262-203-9924 or [email protected].