Technomic, Chicago, PRNewswire
The restaurant industry is evolving
faster than ever, according to leading food research and consulting firm
Technomic. Technology, consumer and menu trends are all revolutionizing
food service. Technomic lays out 10 trends that its consultants and experts believe
may be transformative in 2015. Predictions are based on Technomic research
including consumer and operator surveys and site visits, backed up by data from
its Digital Resource Library and vast Menu Monitor database.
Lights!
Camera! Action!
- Dining is no longer just a personal experience, but a staged event that imparts bragging rights. Plating and lighting are increasingly designed with phone snapshots and social-media sharing in mind. Customers collaborate to put on the show; menus, marketing, even charitable efforts are crowd sourced.
Small-minded.
- Small is in: Diners demand petite plates and flexible portions; units are smaller with shrunken, laser-focused menus, multi-use equipment and expanded hours to leverage fixed costs; labor pressures mean leaner staffing and more technology (though a backlash is brewing as many diners seek to unplug and be waited on).
Food service
everywhere.
- Alternative forms of food service swallow share—from retailers' ever-more-sophisticated onsite