Staying trendy can be a tall order for restaurants. Keeping up with current technology that best serves their business, knowing the latest marketing strategies that will draw in more customers, and the primary thing that is constantly growing and changing…food trends. While it might seem impossible to keep up with the ever changing likes and cravings of your customers, we wanted to share a few tried and true trends that seem to be sticking around! Incorporating just a few menu changes can bring in new customers, keep regulars coming back for more, and increase revenue.
Cold Brew
Cold brew coffee is one of the biggest trends in the industry and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Believe it or not, cold brew coffee was one of the top five delivery items during the pandemic. Its bold taste and wide variety of flavors give restaurants so many ways to incorporate this popular drink into their menus. Cold brew can be served any time of day and is an easy way to incorporate promotions through offering special flavors for seasons or holidays!
Gut Health
While gut health is not a specific food or drink, it is a trend that many restaurants are picking up. People are learning more about the benefits of having good gut health and want options that support their health journey when dining out. There are many foods you can choose from such as kimchi, sauerkraut, raw onions and jicama. Incorporating these foods can be as simple as adding a few raw onions and jicama to a salad, or adding sauerkraut as a side option! Again, you don’t have to add all of these, but research different options and see what best fits in with your restaurant.
- Kombucha
Filled with antioxidants and probiotics, this fermented drink can technically fit into the gut health category. However, because of its popularity and the length of time it has been around, we wanted to feature this option separately. Kombucha is already very popular, and will only continue to grow in popularity as more people discover its many benefits, including detoxing your body of harmful bacteria. You can add this to your menu through cocktails, in a smoothie bowl or even make a salad dressing.
Reduce Waste and Increase Sustainability
There are many trends that started a couple of years ago and seem to be here for the long haul. Reducing waste is not only crucial to the environment, but also helps maximize profitability and is easy to incorporate. For example, using carrot leaves for garnishes, or instead of discarding chicken bones, use them for chicken broth and/or stock. There are also solutions through back-office software to ensure you are ordering correct amounts of product, which will reduce waste and save your restaurant money! Sustainability is another trend that customers are passionate about. Knowing your vendors and sharing a small blurb of their story and where the food comes from is an easy way to share and be transparent with your customers.
So take a step back, look at what you are doing and what you can tweak to bring new trends into your restaurant. You might already be implementing many of these trends, so highlighting them on a menu, or on your social media pages would be a great next step in informing your customers how they can get the latest and greatest trends at your restaurant!
