By Rieva Lesonsky
Do you own a restaurant, catering business, food boutique or other food business? Then you’ll want to know about 15 hot food trends for 2011 as predicted by restaurant consultancy Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. Inc.
While the report, Food And Dining Trends in Restaurants and Hotels for 2011, focuses on restaurants and hotels, the information is valuable for any food industry business. I won’t reveal all 15 trends here, but here’s some of the good news—and bad news—the report found.
Good news: Upscale restaurants will see business customers return as the financial sector recovers and its employees have more money to spend on meals and entertainment.
Bad news: Non-food retail competition continues. With food now being sold everywhere from drugstores to department stores to food trucks, traditional restaurants have to keep an eye on competitors in unexpected places.
Good news: Cheap to make and profitable to sell at all price points, sandwiches will continue to make news. Whether inspired by Mexican, Cuban, Vietnamese or French concoctions, creative sandwiches can offer consumers the irresistible combination of a comfort-food format packed with adventurous ingredients.
Bad news: Restaurants that are too focused on cutting costs will suffer if they make customers feel “unwelcome.” Consumers who have money to spend on dining out have many options—so tactics such as not taking reservations, not-so-subtly discouraging diners from lingering, or charging outrageous prices for alcohol will backfire on some restaurant operators.
What’s in: Korean food, which has been brought to the foreground by trendy taco trucks, will continue to grow in popularity. No longer just for Korean restaurants, Korean specialties will be interpreted at all types of restaurants, from fast food to white tablecloth.
What’s out: Artisanal hotdogs, gourmet burgers, bacon everything and cupcakes are a few of the trends the report deems yesterday’s leftovers. And while I’m not a food expert, I’m not sure I’d bet against cupcakes. They’ve been declared dead before, and Americans are still gobbling them up.
Read Food And Dining Trends in Restaurants and Hotels for 2011 to get the full scoop.
Image by Flickr user Dan Perry (Creative Commons)
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