Each year we get new information about what restaurant patrons want. There are food trends, restaurant style trends and other news about what will be “hot” in the coming year. This year, there are five trends that are sure to dominate the restaurant industry.
The top five trends for 2012 include a trend toward Mediterranean food, a desire for more breakfast all the time, cooked (not prepared) food, simple décor elements in restaurants and the use of, and appreciation for, social media and how it can be used to benefit restaurants.
1. Go Mediterranean
According to a recent poll, 60 percent of those polled said they are open to trying Mediterranean food; that’s reflected in numbers. In 2009 and 2010, sales of Spanish, Middle Eastern and Greek food rose by nearly 2 percent. Many believe that the trend toward Mediterranean food is fueled by a continued trend toward healthy eating.
2. Breakfast is big
Call it comfort food for the masses. Customers often want breakfast during non-breakfast times of day. Restaurants should be happy to comply by offering breakfast all day – breakfast foods are generally cheaper. A good alternative to breakfast all day is to reinvent breakfast foods for the dinner menu; sandwiches made with waffles or interesting egg dishes can be added to dinner menus with things like French toast bread pudding for dessert.
3. Minimalism
Restaurants should veer toward a simpler, less cluttered, look. Restaurant patrons want to sit and chat and enjoy the company of others at the table; they don’t want to look at dusty knick knacks on the shelf. Restaurateurs should choose tables that are clean lined, and chairs that are attractive yet simple in design.
4. Home cooked food
This isn’t to say that restaurants need to switch to a menu that includes chicken-fried steak and biscuits and gravy, customers are seeking food that’s really cooked and not just prepared. Chain restaurants are particularly prone to simply heating food that comes from some faraway place. Even adding just a few home-cooked or made-to-order menu choices can go a long way toward making restaurant patrons happy.
5. Appreciate social media
That is, customers are more apt than ever before to tell everyone they know (and many people they don’t know) about their experiences. They do this through Twitter, Yelp and Facebook. Restaurants should pay attention to this chatter because bad chatter can break a restaurant. If there’s a particular complaint shared, for example, a restaurateur can make changes quickly that might appease customers. From the look of the restaurant to how the food tastes, there are many fixes restaurants can make to appease customers.
Visiting Tablebases.com can help restaurant owners to prepare for what’s “hot” now and in the future. Making investments in infrastructure is always a good investment and one that will likely withstand many years of trends.
