Just have fun

In times of economic and political turmoil, the restaurant industry represents “an affordable getaway” for adventure-seeking consumers, Kruse said. Lately, this has translated to a trend of fun, silly foods.

Recent examples include a Burger King milkshake blended with Kellogg’s Froot Loops and the rise of cookie butter as a flavor in ice cream and frozen yogurt at such shops as 16 Handles, Friendly’s and Carvel. Starbucks is serving a cookie butter bar, too, Kruse said.

Consumers may now eat raw cookie dough by the scoop at a New York cafe called Do or customize a donut ice cream sundae at Dough in Tampa, Fla.

“It’s only going to keep getting zanier and zanier,” Kruse said.