What consumers' Cash App behavior reveals about modern dining trends

Consumers are treating themselves to more cookies, mocktails and “girl dinner” this year.

That’s according to peer-to-peer transactions on Cash App, a mobile app that allows people to send payments to one another along with personalized notes.

The company took stock of those notes this past June and July and compared the contents to the same period last year to identify how spending habits are changing. It’s a unique look at consumer behavior because it shows not only what people are buying, but also how they are talking about it through slang and emojis.

The report noted, for instance, that “rizz” (that’s Gen Z for “charisma”) remains deeply ingrained in the cultural lexicon, with a 143% year-over-year increase. 

Meanwhile, use of the pink bow emoji grew 141%, tracing the popularity of “coquette core,” a fashion trend defined by lace, pearls and puffy sleeves.

If you’re already lost, don’t worry: Many of the results in the report were about food, which has been the most frequently mentioned item in Cash App notes since the app’s inception. The next four are “gas,” “love,” “thanks” and “happy.”

Here’s a closer look at some of the food-related findings from Cash App’s That’s Money 2024 Trend Report.

The treat economy is booming

People are apparently obsessed with buying themselves little treats.

The phrase “sweet little treat” surged by 500% on Cash App year over year, as did “sweet treat” (349%) and “little treat” (170%).

This makes some sense, as consumers do tend to indulge in fun, affordable items in financially challenging times like these. Lipstick sales often rise during recessions, for instance, a phenomenon known as the lipstick effect.

That trend has been reflected in restaurants recently. Sales at chains that specialize in snacks and beverages rose nearly 14% last year compared to 2023, according to Technomic Top 500 data—far faster than the rest of the industry.

Indeed, on Cash App, mentions of Crumbl cookies rose 125% year over year. The fast-growing cookie chain is known for its giant, sugary cookies and social media savvy, and has more than septupled its sales since 2020.

TikTok is having an influence

Parallel to the growing treat economy has been the rise of “girl dinner,” a phrase that did not exist on Cash App before July 2023 but has surged by more than 8,000% since.

Girl dinner originated on TikTok and refers to a meal composed of whatever odds and ends one has on hand when they’re alone and too tired to cook. The result is often like a slightly random charcuterie board: a hunk of cheese, some bread, grapes and pickles might qualify as a girl dinner.

The popularity of girl dinner could be viewed as part of consumers’ ongoing demand for cheap and easy meals. But it also reflects how TikTok trends are spreading into the real world and influencing consumer behavior. 

Girl dinner has even seeped into restaurant chains. Popeyes last year offered a “girl dinner” option that was essentially a variety of the chain’s sides grouped under a Girl Dinner tab on its website.

Let the mocktails and matcha flow

Mentions of mocktails have grown 500% on Cash App since 2020, following the ongoing increase in “sober-curious” consumers.

Matcha was up 28%, neck-in-neck with coffee. The report concluded that more people are turning to the green tea-based drink over java as their indulgence for “calm, caffeine and focus.” 

And for consumers who wanted some booze with their buzz, the espresso martini remained a go-to, with an 89% increase year over year. That was driven by Gen Zers, per the report, which noted that millennials still dominate mentions of the classic martini on Cash App.