From 24-hour drive-thru restaurants that only serve plant-based food, and silent taxi ride services to same-day meal delivery services, a theme that runs throughout the top May 2017 start-up ideas are accommodations that convenience certain types of consumers. This pattern can also be seen throughout body-positive gyms and salons, as well as subscription boxes for sneaker collectors that provide not shoes, but accessories.
Some of the new ventures that are in the works from established companies include furniture brand IKEA planning to open standalone cafes around the world, and Mobile network operator Orange opening the mobile-only Orange Bank.
Other new releases include green pudding cups at Starbucks Japan and Cotton + Corn sneakers from Reebok, which are completely plant-based and compostable after they have fulfilled their life as footwear.
Top 25 Start-Up Innovations in May
24
Sneakerhead Subscription Boxes
Sneakerbox Supplies Accessories for the Sneaker Connoisseur
23
Late-Night Meal Deliveries
With Door Dash, Jack in the Box is Offering Night Meal Delivery
22
Swedish Furniture Shop Restaurants
Ikea Standalone Cafes Could Soon Be in City Centers Worldwide
21
Pop-Up Beach Bars
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel Created a Luxurious Space to Watch Surfing
20
At-Home Espresso Subscriptions
This Service Helps to Perfect the Art of Making Espresso at Home
19
24-Hour Vegan Drive-Thrus
Globally Local is Launching a One-of-a-Kind Vegan Fast Food Restaurant
18
Body Positive Beauty Salons
Babydoll Beauty Couture Caters Specifically to Plus-Size Consumers
17
Customizable Gift-Giving Kits
'Giftkit' Introduces a Modern Way to Shop for Gift Baskets Online
16
One-Way Car Rental Apps
AAA's Gig Car Share App Doesn't Make You Pay to Park
15
Automaker Personal Driver Programs
Lincoln Chauffeur Lets Owners Request A Private Driver Via App
14
Exclusive Toronto Streetwear Launches
Stussy Toronto's Re-Opening Will Feature Unique Apparel
13
New York Bagel Burgers
Mcdonald's New Bagel Supreme Has Two Patties, Bacon, and Coleslaw
12
Same-Day Meal Delivery Services
Martha & Marley Spoon is Offering Quick Delivery Through Amazon
11
Virtual Reality Cafes
'Vrei' is a Hub for Trying Out Virtual Reality Technology and Games
10
Matcha Pudding Snacks
Starbucks Japan is Adding a Tasty Green Pudding to Its Menu
9
Monetized Business Stories
The New MikMak Campaign Allows Users to Buy Items Via Social Stories
8
Digital Payment Messaging Apps
This WhatsApp Update Will Allow Users to Sell and Buy Goods
7
Crowdsourced Food Delivery Apps
JoyRun Lets Users Pick Up Food from Restaurants for Others
6
Vending Machine Apps
'Acure Pass' Allows One to Pre-Purchase Drinks from a Smartphone
5
Plant-Based Sneakers
Reebok's Cotton + Corn Sneakers Can Be Composted After Use
4
Social Sandwich Payment Options
Subway Can Now Be Purchased with Mastercard's Masterpass
3
Mobile-Only Banks
Mobile Network Operator Orange is Now Launching 'Orange Bank'
2
Coworking Space Management Apps
The 'Coworking.works' App Keeps Spaces Working Smoothly
1
Silent Taxi Services
Miyako Taxi's 'Silent Taxi' Offers a Cab Ride That Guarantees No Discussions
Related Ideas
Newsstand-Style Pop-Up Series
Uber Eats x ALDI Celebrated Their Partnership with 'The Daily Feed'
Grocery-Inspired Beauty Pop-Ups
The Markup Marché by The Ordinary Challenges Industry Buzzwords
Pop-Up Recovery Shops
Nike’s Soup Shop in China Redefines Comfort Post-Run Experiences
Trend-Aligned Menu Launches
Jamba's New Summer Bundles are Inspired by Gen Z and Millenial Trends
Plant-Based Yogurt Pop-Up Shops
Alpro The House of Cinnamon Roll Launched in Shoreditch
Vegetal Ice Cream Collections
The Farmer's Market Series by Salt & Straw Has Fresh-Picked Flavors
Springtime Cafe-Inspired Coffee Products
Starbucks Spring Grocery Range Embraces Lighter Flavors
Show-Inspired QSR Menus
The Stranger Things Meals Campaign Introduces Two Parallel Food Options
Plant-Based QSR Milk Partnerships
Burger King and Oatly Partnered to Replace Cow's Milk
Gen Z-Influenced Drink Menus
These New McDonald’s CosMc Drinks are Headed to Over 500 Locations
Last-Minute Meal Pop-Ups
HelloFresh's No-Need-To-Go-To-The-Store Store Saves Commuters Time
Better-For-You Convenience Meals
Lean Kitchen Network Has a New Clean Label Brand Called 'Hide'
All-Day Korean Bakeries
Paris Baguette Features 24-Hour Bakery Stores in Korea
Beaded Beverage Carriers
Six Specialty Drinks are Coming to McDonald's This Spring
Mobile Cafe Pop-Ups
Coach Introduced a Vibrant Coffee Truck in Gotemba, Japan
Fashion-Branded Café Experiences
Vogue Blends Retail with Immersive Hospitality Spaces
Multisensory Gourmand Pop-Ups
Lush's Café Gourmand Pop-Up Immerses Visitors in Cozy Scents
Creative Economy Meal Replacements
Sneak EATS Launched a Nutrition Product Built for Creatives
AI Merchant Onboarding Tools
DoorDash Launches Its AI Merchant Tools
Bike-Thru Coffee Pop-Ups
Oatly Opened a Cyclist-First Coffee Destination in Amsterdam
Recovery Soup Stalls
Nike Opened a Pop-Up Soup Shop in China to Nourish Runners
Gourmet Lunch Pop-Ups
Uber Eats' Sandwich Studio Elevated the Classic Combo Meal
Vibrant QSR Offerings
Kupfert & Kim Adds Viral Glow-Up Appeal With New Lemon Drop Smoothie
Takeout-Style Serum Sets
Glow Hub’s Skin Sips to Go are Packaged Like Cups in a Carrier
Plant-Based Pop Star Campaigns
Alpro and Zara Larsson Partnered for a New Campaign
Experiential Student Activations
Just Eat's Hey U Up Campaign Coincides with Freshers’ Week
Fruit-Fueled Cafe Refreshments
Starbucks Japan Summer Menu Shows Off Three Different Drinks
Decluttered Ad Campaigns
IKEA Unpackaged Goods Organizes Branded Products into Storage Containers
functional footwear brands
NYC-Based Lifestyle Brand Brunch Redefines Everyday Comfort
Corporate Skin-Care Initiatives
Beiersdorf Launches the Skin Care Innovation Fund
Flavored Plant-Based Coffee Mixers
Oatly Barista Editions Have Launched in Three New Flavors
Experiential Brand Cafés
Nutella Reimagines Its Chicago Café with Digital Ordering and a New Menu
Pop-Up Streaming Service Experiences
EE and Netflix Partnered for an Immersive Experience
Mobile Luxury Boutiques
Mytheresa Tours the Hamptons with a Curated Mobile Boutique
Mobile Beauty Retail Activations
Cardi B Debuts Beauty Truck for Her Haircare Brand
Mobile Beauty Pop-Ups
Henkel’s göt2b Debuts a Citywide Mobile Beauty Experience
Reusable Takeaway Packaging Pilots
VTT Launches Reuse Pilot for Ready Meal Packaging
Comprehensive Fast Food Reports
Yum! Brands, Inc. Explores Food Trends Influencing the Industry
Fast-Casual Salad Concepts
Mandy's Salads Unveiled its 2026 Summer Menu and Seed-Oil-Free Approach
CPG-Focused Innovation Launchpads
Albertsons Companies is Running Its Innovation Launchpad
Celebrity-Supported Chef-Crafted Restaurant Concepts
goop kitchen is Expanding to New York City
Urban Food Hubs
M&S Expands City Stores with Bakery, Coffee, Sushi, and Fresh Food
Catalytic Process Startups
Greentown Labs Announces Its Go Make 2026 With Shell Catalysts
Entrepreneurship Adventure Platforms
Lemonade Lab Lets Kid-Run Businesses Accept Tap Payments
Anniversary-Celebrating Brand Evolutions
Smoothie King Debuts 'The Best Kind of Delicious'
Summer Snacking Retailer Ranges
ALDI August Finds Embrace LTOs, Protein and Snack Culture
Themed Beverage Universes
Dutch Bros Launches Planet Dutch with Cosmic Drink Creations
Improved Fast-Food Delivery Platforms
McDonald's Announced a New Online Ordering Platform
Restaurant-to-Retail Expansions
Little Sesame Secured $8.5M to Scale Its Manufacturing Operations
Fragrance-Inspired Cafes
Onitsuka Tiger's Pop-Up Shares Drinks Inspired by Its First Fragrances
Curated Discovery Stores
The Shelf Spotlights Emerging Food, Drink and Wellness Brands
Autonomous Plant-Based Pop-Ups
Okay's Easy Switch Pop-Up Makes Plant-Based Options Accessible
Snack-Inspired Plant-Based Foods
This Veggiecus Plant-Based Ready-to-Cook Range Embraces Snacking
Crafted Fast Food Beverages
McDonald’s Expands into Refreshers, Dirty Sodas and Energy Drinks
Photocopied Fast Food Campaigns
McDonald's Office Delivery Ads Scanned Popular Menu Items
Automated Commercial Kitchen Gardens
Instafarm Lets Restaurants Grow Their Own Ingredients
Curated Grocery Platforms Rise
FirstClub Launches Its Curated Grocery Platform
Plant-Based Private Label Entrees
The ALDI Plant Menu Range Has Been Beefed Up for Veganuary
Lightweight Restaurant Apps
Curate Boosts Restaurant Loyalty with No-Download Apple App Clips
Branded Café Pop-Ups
The OPPO Enco Air5s Debuted Through a Branded Café Pop-Up in Paris
Greengrocer Dance Parties
Gosh! is Taking Over a Local Shop for a One-Night-Only Veg Rave
Plant-Powered Ready Meals
GRUBBY's Vegan Ready Meal Range is Chef-Crafted & High in Protein
Value-Driven Wellness-Focused Menus
Salad and Go Announces a Special Seasonal Menu for 2026
Radically Transparent Food Models
The Open Food Company Launches a $3M Seed Round
Gas Station Meal Expansions
7-Eleven Enters Fast-Food Territory with Chicken Items
Wellness Dining Experiences
CRISP & GREEN Combines Fitness Events With Healthy Meals
Quitter-Addressing Salad Giveaways
BrightFarms' Don't Quit, Just Crunch! Boasts Its Crunch Kit™
Chef-Crafted Scramble Starters
Kevin's Natural Foods Created Four Flavor-Packed Breakfast Boosters
Direct-to-Consumer Storefront Debuts
William-Sonoma’s GreenRow Opens a Physical SoHo Store
Fintech Mobile Plans
Cash App Launches an Unlimited 5G Phone Service
Collaboration Prepackaged Plant-Based Foods
Gosh! and Urban Eat Partnered for Plant-Based fare
Co-Branded Meal Kits
ZOE and GRUBBY Launched Kits and Ready Meals with a Focus on Plant Points
Super App Travel Features
Uber Added Hotel Bookings & Travel Tools at Its Go-Get Product Event
Video-First Food Ordering Experiences
CookUnity Acquired flavrs to Enhance Its Meal Service
Ingredient-First Meal Planning
Kitchen2MyTable Helps Cooks Use Existing Ingredients
Craving-First Plant-Based Marketing
Violife Positions Dairy-Free Foods as Craveable Favorites
Nutrition Ecosystem Restaurants
Fork to Fit Kitchen links meals, fitness, and wellness tracking
Plant-Based Indian Cuisine Products
These New Blue Tribe Products Come in Two Variations
Startup Idea Newsletters
Easy Startup Ideas Delivers Business Roadmaps For Aspiring Founders
In-Person Creativity Cafe Campaigns
The Made in Starbucks Campaign Spotlights Customer Creativity
Plant-Based Burger Diner Partnerships
Beyond Meat and Hard Rock Cafe Announced a Partnership
Artisan-Style Foodservice Breakfasts
Michael Foods Announced New Breakfast Items for Spring
Self-Service Smoothie Stations
iSqueeze's Smoodi Makes Freshly Blended Beverages in 60 Seconds
All-Hours Micro Markets
Healthy Smart Mart is Enticing Entrepreneurs with Its New Model
Wacky Design Smartphones
Nothing, Motorola, and Others Embrace Playful Phone Experimentation
Branded Nutrition-Focused Challenges
Fresh Express is Launching the Fresh Start Challenge
Vision AI Restaurants
Berry AI and Culver’s Expand Real-Time QSR Analytics Nationwide
Restaurant-Supporting Loyalty Platforms
inKind Boasts Its Successes on Its 10-Year Anniversary
Menu Discovery Challenges
Original ChopShop's Feel Good Foodie Challenge Rewards Menu Exploration
All-Electric Service Areas
Fastned Secures Popular Choice Award at the 2026 Architizer A+Awards
Plant-Based Foodservice Appetizers
The Tipiak Vegan Canapé Selection Has Global Inspiration
Micro Camper Concept Vans
Toyota Kayoibako-K Envisions Self-Driving Mobile Storefront & Adventure
Signature Food Giveaways
Craveworthy Brands' Bet on the Bite Shares Free, Fan-Fave Menu Items
Customer-Driven Food Innovation Centers
The Kerry Customer Co-Creation Centre is Now Open
Plant-Based Recipe Kit Meals
GRUBBY and Bosh Partnered to Help Consumers Celebrate Veganuary
Plastic-Free Takeaway Boxes
Just Eat Takeaway.com Launches the Huhtamaki Xampla Boxes
Flexible Catering Formats
Build Your Own Sweetgreen Bar Brings Customization to Group Occasions
UK Plant-Based Egg Debuts
Just Egg is Now Being Sold in the UK for Plant-Based Shoppers
AI-Driven CX Platforms
British Startup 'Serve First' Launches Its AI CX Platform Expansion
Nutrition-Focused Temporary Dining Menus
Ford's Garage Launches the Fuel-Efficient Fare Menu
Mindful Cold Brew Rebrands
Here&Now Repositioned Its Cold Brew as an Antidote to Burnout
D2C Dairy-Free Product Platforms
The Oolie Direct-To-Consumer Site Offers Easy Access for Shoppers
Ad-Friendly Vertical Video Feeds
Instacart Debuts the Immersive Feed Feature on Its Platform
Co-Creation Food Labs
Vibrant Ingredients Expands Rapid Prototyping for Food and Beverage Brands
Foodservice Product Showcases
McLane Company is Unveiling New Products at the 2025 NACS Show
Specialty Natural Ingredient Businesses
SuanNutra Strategically Expands Product Portfolio
Pet-Pleasing Delivery Menus
Deliveroo and French Bandit Collaborated to Delight People & Pets
Robot Food Delivery Partnerships
Uber Eats and Starship Announced a Partnership for the UK market
Plant-Based Food Ingredient Ranges
These New ViaMia Products are Ready-to-Use
Plant-Based Foodservice Chicken Products
TiNDLE Gourmet Chicken is Arriving at PLNT Burger
Community-Driven Loyalty Programs
Salad House Turned Guest Spending Into Local Donations
Future-Facing Food Retailer Ranges
The Ocado Future of Food Edit Aisle Spotlights Modern Varieties
Local Restaurant Activations
Pepsi Hosts Community Events to Drive Restaurant Discovery
Elevated Brunch Menu Refreshes
Sixty Vines Introduced Its New Brunch Menu
Festive Plant-Powered Meal Kits
GRUBBY Launched a Protein-Packed Plant-Based Christmas Menu
Community-Centric Fast Casual
The Stand Expands Community-Focused Restaurants Across California
Expansive Plant-Based Meal Ranges
The Latest BOSH! Range Features Ready Meals and Pizzas
AI-Powered Superapps
Grab Introduces AI Features That Simplify Decisions and Automate Daily Tasks
Seasonal QSR Menu Options
bellagreen Launches its New Spring Seasonal Menu Across Texas
Creative Home Campaigns
IKEA U.S. Launches its 'Dream the Possibilities' Platform
Plant-Powered Restaurant Takeovers
Lidl is Bringing Plant-Based Food to Four German Hotspots
Startup Deal Platforms
Discover Hidden Startup Gems With Micro Deals This Black Friday
Decor Retailer Food Ranges
The IKEA Plant-Based Food Range Will Arrive at European Grocers
Pizza Chain Evolution Strategies
Donatos Pizza Has Outlined a Series of Strategic Developments
Accelerated AI Funding Platforms
Franchise Now Speeds Up Lending and Onboarding with Automation
Outdoor Lifestyle Brand Platforms
Merrell Launches the It Starts Outside Campaign
Strategic Reward-Focused Retail Campaigns
WeShop Launches 'Shopping Starts Here' Campaign
Inflight Dining Menus
Jetblue Mint Tapped Kent Hospitality Group and More for Its Onboard Menus
Campus-Adjacent Wellness Dining
Vitality Bowls Expanded near UNC Charlotte with a Superfood Café
Brandless Packaging Campaigns
McDonald’s Tested a Name-Free 'Famous Order' Promotion
Dual-Format Dining
The Granola Bar Opens Dine-In and Takeaway Concepts in New Yotk
Purpose-Led Emerging Brands Initiatives
7-Eleven Taps 27 Brands for Its 2026 Brands with Heart™
Commercial Plant-Based Milk Appliances
iSqueeze and Numilk Partnered on a New Countertop Machine
Flexible Meal Delivery Brands
Daily Harvest Launches an Optional Subscription Model for 2026
Meal Delivery Brand Advantages
Clean Eatz Kitchen Signals to Its Advantages in the Market
Bold Bright Burger Restaurants
Flip-N-Fry in Berlin Uses Vibrant Colour as Its Core Design Theme
Event-Driven Instant Retail
JD Sports Delivers England Shirts Through Uber Eats Before Kick-Off
iPad Vision Self-Checkout Systems
VisioLab Launches Its AI-Powered iPad Checkout Interface
Regional Salad Chain Openings
CRISP & GREEN Debuts a New West Omaha Restaurant
Compact Autonomous Farms
Canopii Unveils the Official Canopii Robotic Greenhouse