It wasn't that long ago that steak Diane and pineapple upside-down cake were all the rage. Food trends come and go while some classics, such as surf and turf remain. As a restaurant or foodservice business owner, you want to stay up to date on all the latest trends in the business. You want to ensure that your customers find what they're looking for at your location, so they return often. Here's a look at some upcoming food trends of 2021 and beyond.
It's All About the Condiments
From infused ranch to rich, sweet-and-spicy sauces, Americans are experimenting with sauces and condiments. This provides your restaurant with the opportunity to shine.
If you already have a special-recipe sauce or condiment, it's time to highlight it. No worries if you don't. You can join the trend and create a sauce or fusion condiment that your business can make famous.
Once you have a sauce or condiment everyone loves, you can add a little additional equipment to your kitchen and sell it in batches. Your customers can buy additional sauce or condiments for use at home.
Culinary Diversity
We're continuing to become a more diverse nation, and nowhere is that more reflected than on our menus and plates. Latin foods, Korean, Israeli foods, Filipino foods, and soul foods rooted in African American heritage are all extremely popular across the country.
Over the course of the last several years, we've seen many of these cuisine types take the top spot in annual trend reports, but this year, we're lumping them all together. The bottom line is there's still a migration toward comfort foods right now, and with such culinary diversity in the United States, that means different things for different people. Enjoy the benefits!
Take-Home Meal Kits
In the wake of the pandemic, many customers are looking for ways to up their cooking game at home. There are already numerous meal kit companies out there, but you can get in on the trend. You might offer one or two of the entrées that you want to highlight in a take-home meal kit.
You'll need to provide the right servings and preparation sizes of the meats, vegetables, spices, and other ingredients. You might worry that providing a recipe for your dishes may hurt your business, but there are plenty of times when your customer base doesn't want to cook. Creating a meal kit can add a new revenue stream.
Comfort Foods
From biscuits and gravy to ooey-gooey mac and cheese, Americans are looking for their favorite comfort foods. They aren't looking for a burger with blue cheese crumbles, onion straws, and some cheese they've never heard of before. You may consider dedicating your menu toward more traditional fare.
They want the comfort of their favorite foods. However, this doesn't mean that the menu only needs to feature American foods. Many will search for comfort foods from other cuisines and flavor palettes. No matter what your restaurant or foodservice business specializes in, you can create your own take on comfort food.
Online Cooking Classes
After months of sheltering in place, Americans are looking for activities that they can do in the comfort of their homes. Virtual cooking classes are already trending. You can take advantage of this trend by updating your kitchen and creating an easy-to-prepare menu that your chef can teach to anyone.
These online cooking classes need to include an entrée with sides and dessert. Most of these classes run for two to three hours. With a little planning, you can build an online following and create a new revenue stream.
At High Sabatino, we can help get your kitchen ready for all the upcoming trends for 2021 and beyond. Contact us today to learn more.
Book some time with us and talk about food trends. We'd love to have you come on by.
