2019 is here, and the New Year brings with it new trends for restaurants to follow. When it comes to dining trends, The NPD Group has identified some areas that will grow in 2019 and shape out-of-home dining.
Veganism
Veganism has probably been on restaurant trend lists for quite a few years now but it still seems that restaurants aren’t doing enough. The number of vegans is growing year on year; just three years ago in 2016 the number of vegans stood at 500,000 and since then this number has rocketed to over 3.5 million!
Veganism’s pull will see almost as many people give up meat and dairy (5%) in January this year as the 6% taking part in Dry January, according to VoucherCodes.co.uk.
Although more are trialling the lifestyle in January, operators are encouraged to not view veganism as a short-term fad. Operators who embrace veganism beyond January with balanced menus and make alterations to offerings with vegans in mind will truly reap the rewards.
Smaller menus
Would you rather sift through a large menu filled with dozens of options or have a concise menu with accomplished dishes? Larger menus generally symbolise a lack of quality. Yes, there is more variety and chance to attract different palettes, but the chances of you being able to do each of these dishes to a good standard is minimal.
There is a movement towards slimmer menus with a focus on quality. Do what you do best and you’ll gain a reputation in the area. Simple. If you do burgers, just do burgers. And do them well.
A slimmer menu will also mean less complexity, a cut supply chain, lower food costs and less waste. Condensing your menu makes things easier and better for you and the customer.
Transparency
Does your restaurant list the contents and sources of all the food on your menu? Customers are more aware than ever before of the environmental impact of certain raw materials and expect some to question you about the food and ingredients if you don’t have the listed.
If you’ve got nothing to hide, don’t be shy in showing where your food comes from – transparency is key!