From Starbucks to Smoothie King, restaurants seek to cash in on consumers' protein frenzy

Starbucks tein DrinkCourtesy: StarbucksRestaurant chains are joining in on the tein frenzy, hoping to encourage diners to pay more for extra macronutrients during a time when many consumers aren't spending as much.From "gym bros" to users of GLP-1 drugs Ozempic, many Americans are trying to add more tein to their diets, with the goal of building or maintaining their muscle mass and feeling more satiated after meals

Moreover, diet trends that don't emphasize tein intake, such as the ketogenic diet, have fallen out of favor."A lot of younger consumers are more active their health habits, so they're looking for ways to support health now but also to support their health in the future," said Julia Mills, a food and drink analyst for market re firm Mintel. "Generation Alpha, Gen Z, millennials — these consumers are very active on social media, so they're constantly being fed this message that you need more tein, and tein helps you gain muscle and makes you stronger."Roughly a third of consumers said they loved high tein in the second quarter of 2025, up from 24% three years ago, according to Datassential, which tracks restaurant s and consumer preferences.The trend has fueled a tein takeover in grocery store aisles, from tein-packed Eggo waffles to Khloe Kardashian's Khloud tein popcorn.But it's also hitting the s of restaurants that are seeking ways to encourage diners to pay for premium food and drinks.Take Starbucks, for example

The coffee giant said in late July that it will roll out a cold foam packed with 15 grams of tein later this year; the regular cold foam add-on typically costs customers an extra $1.25 per drink

The addition fueled strong same-store sales growth and fits for the upstart chain.'Never been vilified'Eateries are seeking to attract diners Jared Hutkowski, a 42-year-old director of brokerage in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

He works out six days a week and tries to hit his daily tein goal to imve his physique and overall health

When he dines out, he tries to maximize his tein, although he sometimes goes for pizza anyway."The biggest factor is what I am in the mood for that day, and then I normally try and select a meal that has a least a serving of some type of tein in it," Hutkowski said.This year, 28.4% of U.S. restaurant s call out "tein," up from 5.9% a decade ago, according to Datassential

And the trend looks it has staying power

Datassential predicts that by 2029, more than 40% of eateries will highlight tein on their s."tein is one of those things that's never been vilified, because no one's ever said that eating too much tein can be bad for you," Mintel's Mills said.In the short term, consuming more tein than your body needs ly won't cause health issues, but in the long term, it could cause kidney blems, according to Diane Han, a registered dietitian based in San Francisco and the founder of Woking Balance Wellness.The daily amount of tein intake varies by body weight but is roughly 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.watch now10:2210:22Why so many U.S. companies are in teinDigital OriginalFor restaurants, tein's step change happened several years ago

That year, Dine Brands' IHOP, for example, introduced pancakes with 18 grams of tein per flapjack.Fast-casual eateries are the restaurant segment most ly to call out tein on their s, thanks to the common practice of asking customers to pick their tein or offering to double their portion, according to Datassential.Fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen introduced a line of "tein plates" in late 2023 as part of an effort to introduce more hearty options for dinner customers

The addition has helped the company grow its dinner from 35% of sales to 40%, executives said in March.Many restaurants are also leaning into U.S. consumers' desire for convenience

Accessibility may be why Datassential found that consumers tend to prefer tein-packed beverages.For Smoothie King, tein has been a staple since its founding more than 50 years ago

But in October, the chain took one step further, launching a aimed at consumers who take GLP-1 drugs for weight loss or diabetes

The rapid weight loss that can occur from the medications can cause muscle mass to drop, so doctors often advise patients to increase their tein intake to maintain their muscle."It's a convenient, on-the-go way to get in your tein that you're looking for in your diet," said Lori Primavera, Smoothie King's vice president of re and development and duct marketing.Playing up teinAn employee prepares a burrito bowl at a Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky.Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMany restaurants are also choosing to highlight existing tein-packed options, rather than adding new items that would slow down kitchens or add to much complexity to their operations.For example, Panda Express introduced its own tein plates earlier this year

The line, created in partnership with a registered dietitian, includes pre-existing items but packages them as a balanced meal, highlighting tein and fiber content.Chipotle Mexican Grill employed a similar strategy back in 2019 when it introduced "lifestyle bowls," marketed to fit different dietary goals, the paleo diet or offering double tein.wise, in July, Chick-fil-A put the spotlight on its own high-tein options in a company blog, highlighting its grilled nuggets and the Cool Wrap, which features a grilled chicken breast, cheese and lettuce in a tortilla.But for the eateries that want to add new items, nachos with a choice of tein, restaurant-made tein bars and egg dishes that highlight high tein content are all increasingly options, according to Datassential trendologist Claire Conaghan.Eggs are one reason why breakfast, brunch and lunch eatery First Watch has always been "tein forward," CEO Chris Tomasso told CNBC

The chain hasn't adjusted its specifically to address consumers' demand for more tein, but TikTok influencers have highlighted how to order a high-tein meal when visiting its restaurants."We hope that continues to be a trend because we're right down the middle of the fairway on that," Tomasso said.Of course, tein isn't the only way to win over health-conscious consumers

Hutkowski said his primary issue with eating at restaurants is that most of the food is cooked in oils, butter and heavy greases that rapidly add to his intake of fats for the day."A restaurant finding cleaner ways to cook would be much more attractive to me than overly loaded tein dishes," he said.