CHICAGO – What's ahead for the Canadian foodservice industry? Leading food research and consulting firm Technomic sees these transformative food and restaurant trends playing a key role in the coming year:
Trend 1. Menu Boards Slim Down
We know that consumers today want variety and customization when dining out. But there's a separate and developing movement towards simple, hassle-free dining. A growing crop of restaurants with minimalist menu listings will sprout up to service those occasions. Expect more restaurants to streamline overloaded assembly lines and de-bloat their menu boards to focus in on just a few easy-to-order, well-executed dishes.
Trend 2. Generation Appreciation
Many operators find themselves challenged by the distinct preferences of Millennials and Baby Boomers, both of which possess huge spending power yet seek different dining experiences. To simultaneously delight both age demographics, restaurants will address the health and wellness needs of Boomers while ramping up social responsibility practices to attract Millennials. Balancing a strong value proposition for Boomers with authenticity and customizability for Millennials will also help operators be more inclusive of all ages.
Trend 3. Retail Cooks Up Competition
Modern dining halls, pop-ups, food trucks—consumers have explored them all as part of a larger shift away from traditional, fixed restaurant formats. Now, supermarkets and convenience stores are the next foodservice frontier. As today's retailers up the ante on fresh prepared foods, restaurants face a new competitive threat from an emerging segment that is ripe for growth.
Trend 4. Tea Culture Grows Up
Tea is having its coffee moment as concepts create more unique, epicurean tea-drinking experiences. Consumers thirsty for an education in tea will be pleased to see concepts spotlighting the beverage in new and interesting ways through precise tea-brewing practices, tea-and-food pairings and handcrafted flavor assortments. Look for menus steeped in a variety of specialty, premium tea blends.
Trend 5. Beer Beyond Boundaries
Think less about the ambiguous term "craft beer" and more about emerging craft styles, serving ideas and kitchen uses. Hoppy brews will continue to dominate, but expect more sours, saisons, spiced-up stouts and lower-alcohol "session" beers. Tap takeovers, creative beer flights and cask events will create excitement at bars and restaurants. And beer's budding culinary influence will result in more sudsy desserts, infused sauces and pairing suggestions.
In contrast, these uniquely Canadian trends can be compared to Technomic's other expectations for the U.S. foodservice industry and the U.K. market.
To inquire about food industry trend-tracking insights from Technomic, contact one of the individuals listed below. To connect with Technomic and receive additional updates, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or our blog.
Contacts
Press inquiries: Darren Tristano, 312-506-3850 or dtristano@technomic.com
Canadian products and services: Jessica Cravero, 312-506-3849 or jcravero@technomic.com
About Technomic
Only Technomic delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. We drive growth and profitability for our clients by providing the most reliable, consumer-grounded, channel-relevant data with forward-looking strategic insights. Our services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit us at technomic.com
Source: Technomic Inc.