A strawberry iced matcha might look like just another item on the menu, but for many Perth diners, deciding what to eat and drink begins long before they walk through the door.
From Dubai chocolate to buldak ramen, viral food trends are increasingly moving from social media feeds onto café and restaurant menus.
Abby Johnson, venue manager at Perth café Kith Eatery, said matcha has been a popular choice since the café opened in 2024, with the strawberry iced matcha often taking the top spot on busy days.
The 2025 MILKLAB Gen Z Survey found that while lattes and cappuccinos remain café staples overall, younger consumers are gravitating towards Instagram-worthy alternatives.
A third of Gen Z respondents said matcha was their favourite beverage, compared with 15 per cent who preferred flat whites.
However, Johnson said matcha’s popularity was not limited to younger customers, while traditional coffees remained popular among middle-aged diners.
From feeds to food
For Perth Food Highlights content creator Sharon Carleo, social media has shifted how people decide where and what to eat.
“People don’t just want to see the menu, they want to ‘feel’ the restaurant before they go,” Carleo said.
ECU marketing academic Dr Violetta Wilk said social media has made it easier for food trends to reach huge audiences almost instantly.
“TikTok and Instagram can expose millions of people to the food very quickly, making something feel exciting, popular and worth trying,” Wilk said.
When foods become viral, they can quickly become the centre of online debates.
“A very common reason restaurants, dishes or food trends take off is simply controversy,” Carleo said.
She explained that online discussions around viral foods can create “a feeling of FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out).
“So they want to see for themselves and be a part of the discussion.”
Carleo has noticed a growing interest in Asian-inspired drinks and desserts, including ube and mochi.
She said deli sandwiches are also having a “huge moment”, alongside fusion dishes.
For cafés, this means continuously trying out new flavors to keep up with the changing taste of the public.
At Kith, popular flavours influence the café’s drink specials and limited-edition series.
A recent honey-whip special proved popular, with customers continuing to ask for it after it was removed from the menu.
“We’re constantly looking ahead and brainstorming fresh, exciting ideas to keep our menu evolving and our regulars intrigued,” Johnson said.
Not just about taste
Carleo said social media was encouraging some people to try foods they might previously have avoided.
“Ten years ago, teenagers would not touch matcha, mochi or pistachio cream with a ten-foot pole,” she said.
“These days, people are trying a whole range of different foods from different cultures, because they saw it on social media.”
For Carleo, the visual appeal of food is also a major part of the experience. Unusual dishes can bring a sense of excitement giving diners something they can photograph and share.
“If something looks good in photos, audiences will not only want to eat it, but they also want to post a picture of it on their social media,” she said.
The influence can work both ways.
Carleo said she has had people visit restaurants or try new dishes after seeing them on her social media, with businesses reaching out to tell her they sold out of products after posts of hers gained traction.
For cafés like Kith, online attention can translate into customers walking through the door.
While food trends are nothing new, Dr Wilk said social media has fundamentally changed how quickly they can spread.
“Food trends have always existed, but social media dramatically accelerates how quickly they emerge and spread across cities and countries.”
Today it might be matcha. Tomorrow it could be something completely different. In Perth’s fast-moving food scene, the next trend may only be one viral post away.
