The new year has only just started and that's why IENS comes with The Dining Out Trends Report 2019. It lists the 7 emerging trends in the restaurant industry worldwide. Visual sensation, the continuous growth of technology and veganism, among others, are culinary trends that can also be found in Dutch restaurants.
1. Visual sensation
In recent years, Instagram and other photo sharing apps have revolutionized the hospitality industry. Some restaurants have even created specialty dishes and cocktails to maximize social media impact. Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, and YouTube have further expanded this trend, showing what works well through visual content on their platforms. Restaurants (particularly in the fast service industry) do everything they can to delight their customers. The rainbow-colored Bao Buns from Happy Happy Joy Joy in Amsterdam or the gold-leaf-covered pizzas from restaurant Fiko in Amsterdam are indispensable on Instagram. This development encourages sharing a culinary experience via social media.
2. Continuous growth of technology
95% of US restaurateurs say technology significantly improves efficiency in their restaurants (source:Toast). From delivery with drones to paying with apps, restaurants are integrating more and more technological solutions. In the Netherlands, we see in particular the rise of tablets for placing orders. In some restaurants, tech even becomes part of the experience. For example, Robot.He is a robot in a seafood restaurant in Shanghai that is located in Alibaba's supermarket. The robot processes almost all the 'work' of the staff. The software system guides them through customer-supplied QR codes to find out seats, orders and payments via the app. These technological advances range from drone waiters to hyper-realistic augmented reality menus. In this context, the restaurant tries to find the right balance between efficiency brought by innovation and human contact.
3. Dining based on DNA
Consumers are finding it increasingly important to learn more about where and what they eat. This leads to the launch of apps that help diners identify unknown ingredients. BARCLAYCARD prototyped an app that allows guests to familiarize themselves with the ingredients listed on a particular menu. Vita Mojo, a London-based restaurant chain, creates meals tailored to the guest's personal genetic code through a partnership with Canada-based DNA testing company DNAft.
4. Transparency and environmental friendliness
Consumers are increasingly demanding transparency regarding sourcing, the origin of foodstuffs, growing methods and processing methods. In response, companies must adopt a multifaceted approach that influences both the service to their customers and their internal policies. As a result, there will be more transparency about prices, fees and business performance, more emphasis on fair trade and diversity and more attention and communication about their environmental impact. Large chains are increasingly rolling out mainstream eco-initiatives. Small businesses are finding environmentally friendly solutions to fight food waste, such as restaurants that create menus with leftovers from supermarkets. An example of this is restaurant InStock in Amsterdam or the BlueSpoon bar in the Andaz hotel in Amsterdam, which processes the usable remnants from the restaurant into cocktails in the hotel bar. Many restaurants are already banning plastic straws to reduce plastic waste and pollution.
5. Veganism Plant-based dining is increasingly influencing all restaurant policies, moving towards a zero-waste strategy and promoting sustainability. With the growth of veganism, the entire restaurant industry is introducing more and more vegan menus and wine pairings (contrary to popular belief, not all wine is plant-based). This trend also leads to new concepts that combine veganism with other cuisines, such as in the vegan Korean restaurant saVeg in Calgary, Canada, launched by Canadian YouTube star Cheap Lazy Vegan.
6. Food as an experience
In general, consumers – especially millennials – prefer to spend money on an experience rather than just making a purchase. This development will increase in 2019 and restaurants will be no exception. When choosing a restaurant, people want to be inspired and surprised by both a good meal and an exciting gastronomic experience. This leads to various new concepts, from a multi-sensory dining experience to permanent pop-up restaurants. This creates new concepts, such as cartoon-themed restaurants such as the First Official totoro-themed restaurant in Bangkok where you can dine like a superhero or Dinner in Motion, a 360 degree restaurant in Eindhoven, where you go on a culinary journey through a sensory experience.
7. Superfood restaurants Superfoods are already part of people's diets, even in restaurants. In the first wave of this phenomenon, restaurants introduced the ultra-healthy ingredients into their recipes. In 2019, this takes this one step further with the introduction of functional ingredients in dishes that promote natural improvements for body and mind. Such as collagen for beauty, cannabis for relaxation and karkade for stress reduction and blood pressure reduction. New concepts that follow this trend are holistic restaurants and chic healthy restaurants.
Image:Happy Happy Joy Joy
