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When to Integrate Food Trends into Your Restaurant's Menu
If you follow the restaurant industry trade media - and you should - you're apt to read about food trends and wonder if you should be incorporating them into your menu. There are many knowledgeable food bloggers and pundits who make it their business to track consumer preferences. PR firms that represent food producers also try to influence industry thought leaders with new ways to present their products. And each year certain food items, flavors, and sources become buzz.
The risk of ignoring trends is losing relevance, particularly to Millennials and Gen Z diners, who are redefining the market with their eclectic preferences. Tracking and incorporating the
Too Busy to Care?
"Surprisingly, independent restaurants don't bother to do the research on what's hot in the market. They are too busy worrying about what they do, or just getting through the day-to-day," says Chef D. Michael Reyes, lecturer at The Collins College of Hospitality Management, California Polytechnic University in Pomona, California.
"The best way to track trends is through social media," says Reyes. "What are people looking at? What is the buzz? Who is the buzz? What are the common things being posted? What are restaurants doing in your area?"
Learning Objectives:
By the time you've finished reading this article, you should be able to:
- List sources of food trend news and information.
- Describe some of the risks of chasing trends in your menu development.
- Explain why food costing is the first step to adopting a new menu item, and how to do it.
Deciding whether a trendy dish is right for one's restaurant speaks to a brand's core identity. "Though it is all well and good to remain cognizant of trends - and even try new things on an on-going basis for specials to test the waters of your customer base - do not go off-concept and begin to confuse your loyal customers," cautions Karen Malody, FCSI, principal of Culinary Options, LLC in Portland, Oregon.
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