Get on board with food personalization

Discover how food personalization is reshaping the foodservice landscape as we explore the powerful connection between customized offerings and increased sales. From artfully designed pastries to made-to-order specialties, personalization has evolved from a mere trend to an essential business strategy in 2025.

The numbers speak for themselves: the global personalized bakery market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% between 2025 and 2035, expanding from US $5.1 billion to $6.8 billion¹. This remarkable growth is driven by changing consumer expectations, with 75% of bakery customers now actively seeking customized orders.
Let's dive into the world of food personalization to reveal how this unstoppable trend is in transforming the market. From implementation strategies to success metrics, discover the essential steps to harness personalization's potential and boost your sales in today's competitive market.

What is personalized food and why does it matter?

Personalized food refers to culinary offerings tailored to individual customer preferences, dietary needs, and specific requirements. This approach matters because it directly addresses today's consumer demand for unique experiences while allowing foodservice operators to increase customer satisfaction, build loyalty, and command premium pricing in a competitive market.

The three levels of personalization in foodservice

Food customization in modern foodservice operates across three distinct levels. At the basic level, customers select from pre-defined options, such as choosing bread types or fillings for sandwiches. The intermediate level enables deeper customization through mix-and-match components, allowing people to create unique combinations while working within established menu frameworks.

The advanced level represents full personalization, where foodservice operators craft completely bespoke offerings based on specific needs, from dietary requirements to flavor preferences. This approach often integrates data analysis and platforms to deliver highly individualized experiences, particularly valuable for brands seeking to meet precise customer demands.

Each level requires different resources and capabilities, making it essential for foodservice professionals to identify the most suitable approach for their operations.

Key drivers transforming food personalization

Tailored offerings for every taste: the winning strategy

Today's consumers are the true drivers of this food revolution. They seek culinary experiences that perfectly align with their individual preferences, from portion sizes to ingredient combinations. Faced with this evolution, foodservice professionals must respond to their needs by offering a diversified range that leaves no one behind.

Health has become a determining factor in their choices, with growing demand for alternatives adapted to their specific needs and values: gluten-free, high-protein, fiber and vitamin-enriched options. This health consciousness translates into a 22% growth in bakery products with digestive benefits this year². To succeed in this context, it's essential to develop a comprehensive range that meets the expectations of the greatest number: variety of formats, diversity of recipes, and nutritional alternatives. This approach not only satisfies each customer's personalized requirements but also strengthens their loyalty and satisfaction.

Seasonality and festive occasions: the keys to a dynamic offering

The use of seasonal fruits also represents a major asset for satisfying an increasingly quality, conscious clientele seeking freshness and authenticity. These naturally available ingredients not only guarantee optimal taste quality but also enable the creation of offerings that evolve with the seasons, maintaining consumer interest and curiosity.


Furthermore, leveraging seasonal peaks, those key moments of the year such as the holiday season, Valentine's Day or Halloween, constitutes a winning strategy for personalizing one's offering. These key periods provide unique opportunities to create themed products that resonate emotionally with customers, transforming each season into a new culinary experience that is both anticipated and desired.

Flavor innovation : Creating unique experiences

The quest for taste experiences is reshaping the food sector, driving people toward bold and adventurous flavor combinations that create memorable moments. This appetite for new tastes and innovative flavors comes with an eagerness to experience the trending sensations that are buzzing across social media and culinary circles. Social media platforms have accelerated this trend, with flavor innovation becoming an important part of eating habits advancement

The demand for unique flavor combinations has reached unprecedented levels in 2025³. This shift in food intake patterns is particularly significant as 28% of consumers now prioritize mood enhancement as their primary consideration when selecting flavors³ . This reveals a major opportunity for food service professionals to develop personalised offerings that go beyond taste alone, creating truly differentiated emotional experiences.

From unexpected sweet-savory fusions to globally-inspired taste profiles, companies are responding to users' growing appetite for culinary discovery. 

Product categories illustrating key trends in personalization

Bread evolution: From basic to customized

Consumer demand for bread customization has reached new heights, driven by health-conscious choices and personalized preferences. The shift toward gluten-free, multigrain, and protein-enriched options reflects a broader desire for products that align with individual dietary needs and wellness goals.

Recent analysis reveals remarkable growth in DIY and customized bread varieties: sourdough experiencing a 60% surge in interest, bagel customization rising by 71%, and even focaccia seeing a 6% increase in personalization requests compared to the previous year³,⁴. This trend extends beyond ingredient selection to encompass the entire sandwich experience, where customers increasingly expect the freedom to craft their meal from foundation to finish.

The most successful concepts now offer complete customization journeys - from selecting the perfect bread base to choosing every layer of filling, allowing customers to build their ideal combination step by step. This approach transforms a simple transaction into an engaging, personalized experience that meets both taste preferences and dietary requirements, setting new standards for customer satisfaction in the competitive foodservice landscape.

Cake creation: Making it Instagram-worthy

Social media platforms have transformed cake decoration into a powerful marketing tool, with visual appeal becoming as crucial as taste. The surge in cake customization on platforms like TikTok and Instagram reflects this shift, showing a remarkable 6% increase in DIY cake trends compared to the previous year³,⁴.

Personalised cookies and cupcakes are gaining popularity due to their Instagram-friendly presentation, transforming standard products into social media sensations that drive traffic and boost sales. Professional kitchens can enhance their offerings through customised buttercream decorations, rich ganache or pistachio fillings, or premium toppings ranging from famous chocolate bars to fresh seasonal fruit.

Croissant revolution : Endless possibilities

The classic French croissant has evolved into a versatile canvas for culinary creativity, with innovative bakeries transforming this classic viennoiserie into personalized masterpieces. 

Modern croissant personalization spans multiple dimensions, with original shapes, it can be sweet or savoury, including filled variations with house-made creams (chocolate, fruits, cheese, cream..), topped versions featuring ingredients, and hybrid creations that merge different techniques³.

Professional kitchens are discovering new ways to elevate the croissant experience through customization options that cater to specific dayparts and occasions, from breakfast assortments to afternoon tea selections. This flexibility allows foodservice operators to create unique offerings that set them apart in the competitive bakery landscape.

With a single croissant as the foundation, personalization possibilities are endless, eliminating the need for an extensive product range: mastering the customization of one core reference is sufficient to satisfy all your customers' desires.

The Croissant Bar: A game-changing concept to boost your business

The Croissant Bar concept offers foodservice operators a turnkey solution to embrace personalization trends. Designed for operational efficiency, the concept requires minimal space and equipment, making it ideal for integration across different foodservice settings. The system delivers consistent quality while handling peak service periods effectively.


The main advantages are: standing out from the competition with unique offerings, generating increased profitability through customised options, meeting growing consumer demand for personalisation and trends, and increasing footfall by creating products that attract new customers. This forward-thinking concept empowers foodservice businesses to stand out decisively in today's competitive environment

The 4 key benefits of food personalization

Food personalization represents far more than a simple trend: it's a strategic lever that durably transforms foodservice business performance. Here are the four key advantages that explain why investing in this approach is essential for your success.

1. Boost profitability

Personalization enables higher margins through premium pricing on customized options, while optimizing costs through smart management of flexible base ingredients.

2. Easy implementation with non-skilled staff

Well-designed personalization systems allow teams to offer varied options without advanced culinary expertise, thanks to quick training and simplified processes.

3. Enhanced customer experience

Personalization creates strong emotional connections with customers, increases satisfaction and loyalty, while generating positive word-of-mouth and social media visibility.

4. Brand image enhancement and traffic generation

Food personalization positions your establishment as innovative and trend-aware, creating a distinctive competitive advantage. Personalized creations naturally generate word-of-mouth and social media visibility, attracting new customers eager to discover your unique offerings.


References:

At Délifrance, we've been analysing consumer behaviour and sentiment for years. As we do every year, we track consumer changes and adaptations through ongoing research, market research and analysis of online searches and conversations around the world using a variety of tools.

1. Global growth insights, (2025): Personalized bakery products market.| 2. Innova market insights, (2025): Bakery trends 2025 | 3. Délifrance x Ipsos Synthesio social listening, (2025) | 4.DIY & homecooking, July 2025 VS July 2024