San Francisco, CA – af&co. (formerly Andrew Freeman & Co.), one of the country’s leading boutique restaurant and hospitality consulting firms, is thrilled to debut this year’s trends report. Change is the New Black: Responding to Perpetual Change with Creativity, Optimism and Innovation is a preview of the hottest trends and predictions that will shape the hospitality industry in 2018. This comprehensive annual report identifies key influences in restaurants, hotels, hospitality marketing, food and beverage.
Now in its tenth edition, af&co.’s trends report has become an industry standard in anticipating market demand and consumer feedback. Compiled from extensive year-long research, the report is intended to serve as a guide to help operators prepare for the coming year.
The theme of the 2018 trends report is Change is the New Black because there’s one thing we can count on for next year, and it’s… nothing. Change is here to stay, and the top trends reflect the industry’s acceptance of this state of flux. Successful restaurants and hotels are using their creative resources to innovate faster than ever to keep up with national economic, political and social shifts as well as significant cultural changes in the way people dine, socialize and travel.
“Hold on tight, folks, because it’s time to dig in and embrace the craziness,” says Andrew Freeman, founder of af&co. “Restaurants and hotels have learned that they must constantly adapt to appeal to millennials and other growing target demographics due to the ever-shortening attention spans in the digital age. This year, we also saw them mobilize quickly to develop programs to give back to their local communities when natural disaster strikes. Social media makes getting the word out about change easier, too.”
Andrew will lead a trend webinar tomorrow, Thursday, November 16 at 2pm PST/5pm EST, to present the report in its entirety. Images are available upon request. Register for the webinar to learn more about:
FOOD TRENDS
2018 Food City of the Year
Chicken is back… and is growing in popularity
“Fine-casual” dining takes off
Israeli cuisine hits the scene
Everything is rainbow… thanks to Instagram
Creative ways to combat and utilize food waste
Vegetables go mainstream
Contemporary regional Mexican and Chinese cuisines are on the rise
Nostalgic food reappears (meatloaf, deviled eggs, wedge salads, etc.)
Millennials showcase their favorite childhood foods (think Cheetos, Pop Rocks, etc.)
Pizza makes an appearance everywhere
Jewish delis gain in popularity
BEVERAGE TRENDS
Mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages are here to stay
Farm to shaker… garden-inspired cocktails
Bid farewell to the bottle… new and inventive ways to package wine
Affordable wine bars adjacent to high-end restaurants
Experimenting with flavors in cold brew coffee
Classic cocktails using mezcal
CONCEPT AND BUSINESS TRENDS
The proliferation of the six meal period day
Members-only restaurants, lounges and bars
The future of transactions in restaurants (fewer people, more kiosks)
Drones and robots handling delivery
DESIGN AND STYLE TRENDS
Flexible and experiential logo design to adapt across channels
Semi-private spaces allow for privacy without cutting guests off from the action
Restaurants need to be camera-ready at all times and the importance of lighting
HOTEL TRENDS
Robots for room service and expanding, healthier vending options
Well-being amenities
Micro hotels
Global breakfast options
Using technology (voice/facial recognition, mobile check-in, etc.)
BANQUET AND CATERING TRENDS
Third-party entities make catering for restaurants easier
Apps that cater to event professionals
Showcasing local and seasonal produce at events
MARKETING AND PR TRENDS
Food on the move and in the air… especially on social media
Experiential marketing takes over overtly promotional tactics
The micro-influencer movement
It’s all about the urgency… the importance of limited-time offers
Data mining, online booking and new players… the new way to foster loyalty and recognition
About af&co.: af&co. is an innovative restaurant and hospitality consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco with clients across the country. They have developed and launched concepts for more than 100 restaurants and hotels and provided ongoing marketing, public relations, and operations consulting for more than 200 others. af&co. has created unique culinary events of all sizes from intimate dinners to food and wine festivals drawing more than 10,000 people. They do whatever it takes to help their clients achieve their goals and focus on what they are passionate about: hotels, restaurants, food, wine, spirits and travel.
Source: af&co