futureforecasts
THE FUTURE OF FOODSERVICE, 2022 AND BEYOND
Around the world, the changes that those in the foodservice industry have had to make to stay in business have shaped key trends going forward. The pandemic threw the trajectory of the hospitality industry into disarray and newly established customer behaviours combined with market forces are driving new traffic patterns and a new raft of challenges.
business and must be considered in current and future decisions.
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE – CONSUMERS CRAVE NEW TASTES In part driven by the pandemic, consumers have been seeking variety and new types of food choices like global cuisines, healthy meals, and unusual ingredients. The trend has increased thanks to social media. TikTok, for example, has been a huge influence, exposing people to new food ideas and spreading diversity. In fact, a recent viral craze featured “onigiri,” Japanese rice balls. New ideas and trends travel faster around the globe now, and food is no exception. By adding virtual restaurant brands, a restaurant can quickly introduce new cuisines with a lower investment, and the restaurant’s partner handles menu development and marketing to drive demand.
THE EVOLUTION OF PHYSICAL SPACE
NEVER HAVE CONSUMERS BEEN SO ENGAGED WITH WHAT THEY EAT AND DRINK. Trends in sustainability and food origins and security are converging with enormous investment in food technology, e-commerce, and delivery and the intersection of these trends is creating a new era of transparency across the entire farm to fork journey. This has disruptive implications for food supply chains and the broader consumer path to purchase. Brands must adapt with new methods of brand storytelling, pivoting to local sourcing and sustainable packaging, and exploring new routes to market.
DINING TO GO EVEN MORE DIGITAL The pandemic prompted the revolution to digital and delivery.
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There is no question that it is a trend that is here to stay. This means online ordering, delivery and curbside pickup must be factored into all parts of the restaurant business. Having a presence on multiple online ordering apps is a given, as well as direct ordering on a restaurant’s own website. Restaurant leaders must prioritise
planning for a digital menu with food quality and delivery taken into consideration. Even indoor dining restaurants will likely remain more digital, with some opting to keep online menus and table-ordering options, where meals are delivered to the table by runners. Digital is now part of the basic equation for today’s restaurant
As off-premise dining remains popular, restaurant owners must rethink how the physical layout of their restaurants will work best for their business, staff and customers. Industry experts predict that what used to be a 70/30 split, with more front-of-the-house dining space and a limited backof-the-house kitchen area, will flip to 30/70, with more backof-the-house space, by 2025. This flip will accommodate the changing restaurant business. Physical space is a key topic given the restrictions that have come from COVID-19, as well as the explosion in e-commerce and particular share gains being seen among e-commerce players. This is forcing every operator with a physical space to think long and hard about what their outlets are for, what they are doing and where they fit in this broader strategy.
THE GREAT BREAKFAST BOOM AND EGGCELLENT EGGS The crisis may have prompted
