Gen Z Wants It Their Way: How Build-Your-Own Menus Are Reshaping Foodservice

Gen Z diners are shaking up the way restaurant operators think about menu design. Instead of choosing from fixed options, they’re looking for more control; opting for meals they can personalize to fit their tastes, cravings, and dietary preferences.

That shift is driving the rise of build-your-own formats and customizable dining experiences. For operators, it opens the door to more engaging menus that encourage experimentation and repeat visits, all while relying on familiar ingredients.

Personalization Is a Priority for Gen Z Diners

Research shows that 75% of Gen Z diners prefer to customize their orders.¹ Younger guests are actively looking for ways to tailor flavor, portions, and ingredient combinations. In fact, 25% of Gen Z and millennial diners report bringing their own condiments to restaurants to get the exact flavor experience they want.²

Build-Your-Own Formats Are Gaining Momentum

Datassential reports that nearly half of consumers say they’re more likely to visit restaurants with customizable menu options, making it a clear opportunity for driving traffic and engagement.³

Items like bowls, sandwiches, and other easy-to-modify items not only allow for creativity, but also have operational benefits. Build-your-own menus make it easier to streamline ingredients and simplify back-of-house execution, all while creating multiple menu items from the same core components, reducing waste by maximizing ingredient usage.

Menu Inspiration: Customizable Bowls

One of the easiest ways to tap into this trend is by starting with a flexible base that works across dayparts. Operators can start by offering a familiar, versatile foundation such as shredded hash browns, diced potatoes, or mashed potatoes.

From there, guests can layer on proteins, sauces, and toppings to create a meal that fits their preferences. This approach allows operators to offer variety without adding new ingredients.

These menu ideas show how flexible bowl platforms can support a wide range of flavor profiles and dayparts:

• Tuscan Power Bowl: Crispy hash browns layered with sautéed kale, fluffy egg whites, sun-dried tomatoes, and turmeric yogurt.
• Jalapeño Popper Mashed Snack Bowl: Traditional mashed potatoes mixed with cream cheese and jalapeños, finished with grilled chicken, crispy turkey bacon, and yogurt drizzle.
• Smoky Chipotle Elote Pork Al Pastor Bowl: Crispy hash browns topped with chipotle pork, charred elote, jammy eggs, and a citrus-chipotle drizzle.
• Breakfast Cuban Bowl with Soft-Yolk Fried Egg: A savory, globally inspired bowl made with Papetti’s^® Pasteurized Shell Eggs that works well for breakfast or brunch menus.

Menu Inspiration: Build-Your-Own Sandwiches

Customizable sandwiches can introduce unexpected carriers and ingredient combinations that allow guests to mix sweet and savory elements, proteins, and toppings in new ways.

Menu ideas like a French Toast Monte Cristo Sandwich or a Caramel Apple Cream Cheese French Toast Sandwich show how customization and creativity can work together, offering something that feels both familiar and new.

Turn Customization Into a Menu Advantage

Customization is quickly becoming an expectation, especially among younger diners. Build-your-own formats offer a practical way to balance flexibility with back-of-house efficiency, allowing operators to do more with the ingredients they already use. As menus continue to evolve, this kind of adaptability can help support both creativity and consistency across dayparts.

Sources:
¹ Gen Z and Fast Food Trends: The Inside Scoop on the Next Generation of Consumers, Dig Insights

² 1 in 4 Gen Z and Millennials Say They Bring Their Own Condiments to Restaurants—Especially Hot Sauce, The Associated Press, March 2025

³ 2026 Food & Beverage Trend Report, Datassential, 2026