The Top 7 Restaurant Trends for 2015

It seems like everyone is predicting food and restaurant trends for 2015. We decided to gather all of the resources and put together a comprehensive list of the trendiest trends. Do you plan on updating your menu and restaurant to roll with the times or are you going to stick with your tried and true methods?

Either way, here are the top 8 predicted restaurant trends for 2015!

1. Meals created with Social Media in mind

I’m sure you see this in your restaurant daily…a guest takes out their cell phone and snaps a picture of the food you’ve just served them. This is great FREE advertising for your restaurant, but is it positive? We’re living in a digital age where consumers share every detail of their lives via social media. Is your food ready for the challenge?

Important aspects to consider include the color profile of the ingredients and creative plating.

2. More tech

Photo-friendly food isn’t the only tech restaurant trend for 2015. The younger generation is looking for different ways to engage with restaurants. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about clever ways to surprise  your guests with technology:

• Email Engagement – Interacting with guests through email is a great way to show your appreciation and build engagement through special offers and event invites.
• Interactive Ordering – Create a fun user experience by offering unique ordering options. This could include tablets at the table or counter, an app where guests can order ahead or even face-recognition software. Okay, the last one is a little crazy, but Baum+Whiteman talks about exciting advances in technology that innovative restaurants are implementing.

3. Will shorter menus result in a bigger experience?

Experts are predicting that we’ll find more restaurants converting to smaller, more focused menus. According to Mary Chapman from Technomic, from year-to-year the number of menu items has shrunk by 3%. She stresses that many restaurants will start to focus on a few menu items that they do really well, resulting in a more personalized experience. This also helps to reduce food costs and allows the restaurant to be more agile in changing with the seasons.

4. Gourmet and experimental beverages

Specialty beverage restaurants and bars are popping up everywhere, I’ve recently seen restaurants dedicated to vegetarian fare and whisky, pizza and bourbon, and vodka and sushi, just to name a few. We’ll likely see more of these opening in 2015 as consumers are seeking unique experiences to feed their appetites.

Here are some of the beverage trends we’re likely to see more of in 2015:

• Beer Cocktails – Recently I was out to brunch and found myself staring at a beermosa, I was skeptical but ordered it. Mind blown. Be on the lookout for this trend to catch on with more restaurants offering fun beer cocktails. Need some inspiration? Check out these recipes.
• Shareable punches – Baum+Whiteman says “Your parents’ preference for communal boozing is back”.  Restaurants around the globe are cashing in on this trend, creating fancy punches and fun atmospheres.  Count me in!
• Specialty Sodas – To capitalize on the needs for individuality as well as healthier drink options, craft sodas have quickly started to take on the big guys. One of our team’s person favorites is Spindrift, which uses 100% juice in it’s sodas.
• Unique Presentations – We’re going to see more and more unique presentations for beverages in 2015. Some of these include flasks, punch bowls, and cups made with ice.

5. Pick and choose menus

With more and more people adhering to specific diets, vegetarian, glutton free, etc, we’ll start to see more restaurants turning to pick and choose menus. Currently, popular restaurants are implementing this style into their restaurant for two reason. First,  it helps to personalize the experience and allows these restaurants to adhere to many different diets. Secondly, it helps to reduce costs since they can keep the menu small with a few different ingredients in each category.

6. Local food – still a hot topic more than ever

Farm to table is a hotter topic than ever. Consumers are demanding information on where their food is coming from and prefer local sources whenever possible.

Luckily ordering local food has become easier over the past year, with millions of dollars being poured into food and restaurant technology. Some of the local, online food ordering resources are regional, it’s worth searching to find a great partner with the right prices.

7. Generation Z

You thought Millennials were difficult to figure out, well you better be ready for Gen Z. They are tech-savvy and overstimulated – so you’ll have to find a way to cut through the noise and deliver an experience suited to their fast-paced and engagement-focused lives.

A few ideas to get ahead of the curve:

• Take advantage of apps and technology to connect with this social media savvy group.
• Entrepreneur.com mentions that moving visuals and loud music will be key to creating a more heightened experience with this generation.

Which are you planning on including in your 2015 menu?

Resources:

http://www.baumwhiteman.com/2015Trends.pdf
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239015
http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Food-Service-Retail