Research Reveals Growing Interest in Watermelon on U.S. Restaurant Menus, According to 2025 Foodservice Study
New 2025 foodservice research from the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) provides a data-driven analysis of watermelon menu trends in U.S. restaurants, highlighting growing menu penetration, evolving consumer perceptions, and new opportunities for menu innovation.
The research shows that watermelon menu penetration has increased 30% since 2021, with broader adoption across restaurant segments and particularly strong engagement among younger consumers. While beverages continue to account for much of watermelon’s menu presence (37%), the findings also highlight significant opportunity to expand and innovate around fresh, savory and nontraditional applications across additional menu categories and dayparts.
Key insights reveal that younger consumers associate watermelon with joy, energy, adventure, and inspiration, signaling strong potential for menu innovation and flavor-forward positioning. While nostalgia remains a meaningful emotional driver, the research suggests that emphasizing watermelon’s more dynamic and experiential attributes may better support differentiation and consumer engagement. The research showed that nearly 75% of consumers strongly or somewhat agree fresh watermelon is under appreciated, and restaurants should be offering or doing more to use fresh watermelon in new and interesting ways.
Char Sui Watermelon and Lamb Egg Roll Bowl. Credit: National Watermelon Board
As part of the Board’s ongoing effort to better understand consumer preferences and foodservice operator behavior, the research delivers practical, actionable insights to support menu development and innovation strategies. For example, the research revealed that salads, drinks and desserts offer excellent innovation opportunities for consumer appeal, which serves to confirm the strong tie consumers have between watermelon and refreshing.
Detailed overviews of the 2025 Consumer at Foodservice Quantitative Research and the 2025 Menuing & Innovation Research, including actionable takeaways, are available on the NWPB Foodservice Research webpage.
About National Watermelon Promotion Board
The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), based in Winter Springs, Florida, was established in 1989 as an agricultural promotion group to promote watermelon in the United States and in various markets abroad. Funded through a self-mandated industry assessment paid by nearly 700 watermelon producers, handlers and importers, NWPB mission is to increase consumer demand for watermelon through promotion, research and education programs.
A serving of nutrient-dense watermelon provides an excellent source of Vitamin C (25% DV), a source of Vitamin B6 (8% DV), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories per 2-cup serving. Watermelon consumption per capita in the United States was roughly 15.6 pounds in 2024. Watermelon consumption in the United States was nearly 5.3 billion pounds in 2024. Additionally, the United States exported 400 million pounds of watermelon. For additional information, visit www.watermelon.org.
