The Long Life of the Snacking Occasion

Happy hour? That’s a classic “snacking occasion.” Post-workout? An opportunity for a refueling bite.The afternoon cup of coffee that also includes a discounted pastry? That’s another spun-up “snacking occasion.”Back in the day, three square meals were the standard.

Now, many people nibble and snack all day (and night).And shrewd executives are seeking ways to get people to keep spending on all of it, partly by concocting ever more snacking occasions.The term has been rising in popularity among executives as companies scramble to continue making money through the day even as some consumers shift to smaller portions, or choose snacks in lieu of meals.

“Hostess Donettes brand continues to outperform the broader sweet baked goods category,” the chief executive of J.M.Smucker said in August, “reinforcing the brand’s relevance within the A.M.

snacking occasion.” Also that month, the El Pollo Loco chief executive said that afternoon and late-night offerings like coffee drinks, chicken tenders and quesadillas were “part of a broader snacking occasion that brings guests into our restaurant outside of traditional mealtime.”Alex Susskind, a professor at Cornell focused on food and beverage management, said that executives using this term are referring to “a revenue opportunity that exists outside of normal structures.”The industry term has been around for decades, Mr.Susskind said.

But lately, as inflation ruffles consumers’ outlook and the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs alters eating patterns, use of the term has picked up.“Snacking occasion” has appeared on 51 conference call transcripts so far in 2026, and was mentioned on 48 transcripts last year, according to Alphasense, a research firm.

In the third quarter of this year, the term was used on 20 calls, up from four mentions in the same period a decade earlier.The ultimate goal of a snacking occasion, Mr.Susskind said, is to “layer in another type of consumption.” Restaurants,...