The food industry is continuously growing and evolving. Unfortunately, this evolution is causing some problems in full service restaurants as they struggle to compete with food trucks, online deliveries, and gastropubs. But dining trends like the rising popularity of Asian desserts and regional dishes like arrosticini being given a gourmet twist can help turn the tide. Here are five trends to watch out for this year:
- Rise of International Desserts: Comfort desserts from abroad will make their mark this year. Expect full service restaurants to come up with their own version of the mochi, a Japanese rice cake, or the halo-halo, a popular shaved ice delight from the Philippines.
- Sharing is Caring: More diners will be opting for food sharing, a practice that's more profitable in the long run. So instead of four orders, restaurant guests will order six to eight dishes that everyone can share.
- Gourmet Cuisine Turns Regional: The influx of more worldly tourists from Asia and open-minded millennials mean that more restaurants will be churning out gourmet regional dishes, like arrosticini from Italy's Abruzzo region or dry-wok chicken from China's Hunan province.
- EMV Payments for Better Security: The increasing threat of data system hacks mean that more people are uncomfortable of letting their credit cards out of their sight. This year, expect taking credit card payments at the diner's table to become a regular thing, thanks to EMV payments.
- Smarter Technology: Full-service restaurants will be seeing the integration of smart tech into their service process. For instance, restaurants will know what table their customers prefer, whether they like a particular server, or the type of dish they like. This will also bleed into the kitchen equipment and accessories used. High-quality food trolleys or specialized equipment like an arrosticini grill will be made using high-end technology.