Morning Brew Daily – "Phase or Forever? Toby’s Trends 2025 Mega Recap"

Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Neal Freyman & Toby Howell

Episode Overview

In this special, end-of-year mega recap of "Toby’s Trends," hosts Neal Freyman and Toby Howell revisit the quirkiest, buzziest, and most revealing trends of 2025. With their trademark wit, they discuss which trends are fleeting "phases" and which ones might just stick around "forever." From health supplements and food fads to social shifts and the resurgence of grandma hobbies, this episode is packed with cultural observations, stats, and plenty of memorable banter.

Key Trends, Insights, and Memorable Moments

1. Creatine Goes Mainstream

[02:22–04:31]

• Insight: Once confined to the world of "gym bros," creatine has been reborn as a widely used, well-studied supplement touted for both physical and mental benefits—including improved cognition and support for women going through menopause.
  • "Sales of the supplement at Vitamin Shoppe surged 320% from 2019 to today." (Toby, 02:45)
  • Creatine’s audience has diversified: at GNC, women now make up 30% of sales, up from 18% in 2020.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Can you imagine going back to high school and remembering which kids... now seeing like, who is taking it in this day and age? It has been a glow up." (Toby, 03:38)
• Hosts' Verdict: Both hosts see creatine as a "forever" trend, buoyed by ongoing research and influencer support.

2. Caviar’s Accessible Glow-Up

[04:51–07:19]

• Insight: Once an unattainable luxury, caviar became more accessible due to lower prices (thanks largely to Chinese production) and its transformation into a "loss leader" social media showpiece at restaurants.
  • "Restaurants have started doing some crazy things... a dollop on top of a McDonald's style chicken nugget... a $68 sour cream and onion dip in Nashville." (Toby, 05:40)
• Social Media Angle: The "caviar bump" (eating caviar directly for fun) trended heavily during lockdowns.
• Hosts' Verdict: Both Neal and Toby see this as a "phase." Its novelty is unlikely to sustain widespread popularity due to cost barriers.

3. Dubai Chocolate: The Viral Confection

[07:19–09:06]

• Insight: A pistachio-filled chocolate bar originating from the UAE exploded in popularity after a TikTok ASMR video went viral (over 120 million views), placing massive pressure on pistachio supplies and sparking product lines from major brands like Hershey’s and Trader Joe’s.
  • "It felt like the Labubu of the confectionery world." (Toby, 08:17)
• Hosts' Verdict: Both hosts think Dubai chocolate has staying power:
  • "When Hershey’s buys into this, I think there’s the idea that this is not just a flash in the pan." (Neal, 08:34)
  • Texture ("the crunch") and novelty may make it a confectionary mainstay.

4. Spicy Food Fever

[09:06–11:53]

• Insight: Restaurant chains capitalized on the love for heat, launching 76 new spicy menu items in a few months; spicy food challenges on social media (like the fire noodle challenge) fuel the craze.
• Notable Quote:
  • "If you wanted to create buzz both online and in customers’ mouths this year, the best way... was to make that food item hot." (Toby, 10:12)
• Hosts' Takes: Toby can’t handle much heat but acknowledges its power; Neal points out the business success (Dave’s Hot Chicken valued at $1 billion).
• Cultural Note: Mukbangs—livestreams where people eat spicy food—remain popular.
  • "As long as the Internet is around, I think we'll still have mukbangs." (Toby, 11:07)

5. Bar Tab Anxiety & Changing Drinking Culture

[11:53–15:24]

• Insight: Gen Zers increasingly refuse to open bar tabs, preferring to close out with each drink to control spending and reduce anxiety.
  • "It increases anxiety in me when I leave a tab open." (Toby, 12:36, quoting a Gen Z bar patron)
• Business Angle: More transactions increase swipe fees and bar staff workload; bartenders hate the shift.
  • "That is more money coming out of your bank account, let alone all the time it takes." (Neal, 12:49)
• Context: Gen Z is drinking less overall—down 10 points in the last two decades, according to Gallup.
• Hosts' Takes: Neal dislikes the new norm ("Try it once, leave a bar tab open"), while Toby sees the generational divide.

6. Communal Dining: Back Again, For Now

[15:24–16:16]

• Insight: Communal tables are back in vogue, especially among Gen Z (90% approval vs. 60% for Boomers), seen as a low-pressure way to socialize.
• Economic Warning Sign? Neal connects the return of communal dining to societal downturns:
  • "Whenever communal dining makes a comeback... it’s not good news for the rest of the world. After 9/11, after the financial crisis, WWII... people wanted to be together. So... maybe a recession indicator." (Neal, 15:24)
• Hosts' Verdict: Both see it as cyclical—a phase, not forever.

7. Grandma Hobbies & Ditching the Digital

[16:16–18:53]

• Insight: "Granny core" is having a major moment; 86% of Gen Z identify as crafters, with sales of cross-stitch patterns and embroidered canvases soaring.
  • "A growing portion of young Americans are taking up grandma hobbies... main character in a cozy British miniseries, vibes." (Toby, 16:51)
• Pandemic Effect: This analog turn is seen in the context of post-pandemic social craving and screen fatigue.
  • "A lot of the trends that we've been talking about are straight from the pandemic, specifically among Gen Z who had their college careers cut short..." (Neal, 17:52)
• Hosts' Verdict: Both approve; analog is "forever," not a fleeting phase.

8. The Disappearing Novel-Reading Man (and Everyone Else)

[20:42–23:48]

• Insight: Rumors of men abandoning fiction are overblown, but reading for pleasure is down for everyone—only 16% of Americans read for pleasure daily (down from 28% in 2003).
  • "Nobody is reading anymore, male or female; reading for pleasure... has fallen by more than 40% over the past two decades." (Neal, 21:48)
• Social Pressures: "Performative reading" (posing with books in public) and worries about image are discussed.
• Hosts' Verdict: The decline is about broader shifts, not gender roles. Both reminisce about trying to start a Morning Brew Daily book club.

9. Comebacks: Braces as Status, Cigarettes as Aesthetic

Braces [24:00–25:42]; Cigarettes [25:42–28:54]

• Braces:
  • Metal braces are now a "cool" flex among youth—expensive, customizable, and proudly displayed (and sometimes accessorized).
    • "No shade to Invisalign, but it’s kind of boring to me. So I think of this as an accessory..." (Participant quoted by Neal, 25:30)
  • Pop culture and celebrities (e.g., Lil Uzi Vert) drive this.
• Cigarettes:
  • Despite historically low smoking rates, tobacco use’s aesthetic is trending in pop culture—half of recent films featured tobacco imagery; celebrities sing and post about smoking.
    • "The mood and the ritual are more alluring than the nicotine itself." (Toby, 27:02)
  • Health dangers remain, and the hosts wonder whether this revival will show up in actual behavior.
    • "We might need to wait a few years to see whether... actually does filter down to measurable statistics." (Neal, 27:20)

10. Absurdist Internet Trends: "6, 7"

[28:54–30:53]

• Insight: The numbers “6, 7” became a Gen Alpha meme—completely meaningless, but universally quoted and referenced simply to baffle adults.
  • "It is a nonsense trend inherently. It’s meant to make you feel like you have no idea what’s going on." (Toby, 30:26)
• Trend Cycle: Reaches saturation "death spiral" once adults start participating.

11. The Business of History Booms

[30:53–32:54]

• Insight: Despite fewer young people taking history classes, books and history podcasts are booming—upticks of 6% in US history book sales, historic highs in the UK/Ireland, and monster podcast downloads ("Rest is History" >12.5 million/month).
  • "Maybe the people were right that men are thinking about the Roman Empire every single day of their lives." (Neal, 31:31)
• Cultural Theory: In times of rapid change (AI, tech, societal shifts), people look to history for context and grounding.

12. We’re All in a Hurry: Fast Walking

[32:54–34:52]

• Insight: City dwellers now walk 15% faster than in 1980; researchers connect this to smartphones (fewer spontaneous interactions), higher incomes (higher opportunity cost of time), and social atomization.
  • "People are just on the move these days." (Neal, 32:54)
  • "We could all use a little more stoop chilling... and just a little more pondering on the streets." (Neal, 34:24)
• Broader Theme: Lack of "third places" and spontaneous social interactions as society becomes more individualistic and hurried.

Overarching Themes & Final Thoughts

• Analog Nostalgia & Digital Fatigue: A desire for activities that offer tactile satisfaction and real-world connection (crafting, reading, communal dining).
• Pandemic Echoes: Many trends (Granny hobbies, social shifts) are seen as fallout or reaction to the isolation and disruption of COVID-19.
• Generational Divide: Habits around spending, drinking, and socializing diverge starkly between Gen Z/Alpha and older generations.
• Phase vs. Forever: Hosts often agree that some trends (creatine, analog hobbies, spicy foods, Dubai chocolate) are here to stay, while others (caviar, communal dining, "6, 7") are ephemeral.

Select Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Sales of [creatine] at Vitamin Shoppe surged 320% from 2019 to today." (Toby, 02:45)
• "Caviar is having a bit of a moment... finding itself on dishes far beyond the scope of creme fraiche and crackers." (Toby, 04:51)
• "The customer base has expanded beyond the gym bros." (Neal, 02:59)
• "Nobody is reading anymore, male or female; reading for pleasure... has fallen by more than 40% over the past two decades." (Neal, 21:48)
• "Six, seven... it is a nonsense trend inherently. It’s meant to make you feel like you have no idea what’s going on." (Toby, 30:26)
• "We could all use a little more stoop chilling... and a little more pondering on the streets." (Neal, 34:24)

Useful Timestamps

• Creatine’s New Audience: 02:22
• Caviar’s Accessibility: 04:51
• Dubai Chocolate TikTok’s Influence: 08:17
• Spicy Foods’ Social Media Fuel: 10:15
• Bar Tab Anxiety: 12:36
• Decline in Pleasure Reading: 21:48
• Braces as a Status Symbol: 24:53
• Smoking’s Aesthetic Revival: 25:42
• "6, 7" Meme Explainer: 28:54
• History Obsession: 30:53
• Walking Faster: 32:54

Episode Tone

The episode maintains Morning Brew's signature clever, conversational, and lightly self-deprecating tone, mixing statistical insights and business stories with irreverent observations and generational comparisons. The hosts balance humor with genuine curiosity, always aiming to make listeners feel smarter, never left out.

Final Takeaway

This mega-recap highlights how even the weirdest fads have something important to say about technology, culture, and generational identity—and that, whether it’s creatine or caviar, communal tables or fast walking, how we live and connect continues to evolve in fascinating (and sometimes bizarre) ways.