It’s fair to say the last two years have thrown many a curveball and forced a seismic shift in the ways of working for many of us. While a good chunk of it has been incredibly challenging, for a lot, it’s shaken up how they view their existing and well-established service models for the better.
It will be interesting to see how the themes that have shifted our thinking will play out this year as they are here to stay and will undoubtedly morph further as foodservice businesses have moved into a more curious and creative mindset about how they can do business.
The trends that will continue to build momentum are:
- Simplified menus – less is more! Aussies are looking for choice within a simplified menu though that by no means suggests they are willing to compromise on quality. Quality has, in fact, increased as a driver of menu choice. Customers will also be looking for signature and show stopping dishes to assist in shortcutting the menu choice.
- Sustainable Disposables – with the delivery boom, this is something that continues to come under scrutiny with it now an expectation that venues provide their takeaway goodies in eco-friendly alternatives. We are starting to see people voting with their wallets and changing their buying behaviour on this very trend, accelerated by the takeaway phenomenon.
- Ghost Kitchens – building off the takeaway trend, this is the notion of essentially using ‘offsite’ kitchens and bringing the goods into a physical pick-up location or direct to customers. This works to the idea that there is less demand for in-dining experiences. Overhead costs are much cheaper with a ghost kitchen, giving you the financial flexibility to use higher-quality ingredients or lower menu prices for customers. Working with partners who provide ‘ready to plate’ offers is also a removed form of this trend.
- Enhanced In-Venue Experiences – to entice patrons back into venues, there is a drive to offer greater value to the dining experience. Being clear on what you stand for as a venue and what your unique point of difference is; will undoubtedly help you define what this could look like for you.
- Social Media On Steroids – “yawn”, we hear you say, “that it’s nothing new”. However, TikTok has exploded in popularity recently, leading many venues to explore the platform as a way of advertising their business. Posting videos of your venue’s menu, food preparation, and venue attracts customers’ attention and creates brand recognition. Due to its ease of adoption and the potential to create a viral hit, TikTok and other forms of video marketing are expected to be a major venue marketing trend in 2022.
If there was ever a time to have a creator mindset, it is today in the foodservice industry. To reinvent what was once so well known and forge new ways of working has been proven in the last two years; we can’t wait to be a part of helping our customers to develop new pathways to grow.
It’s fair to say the last two years have thrown many a curveball and forced a seismic shift in the ways of working for many of us. While a good chunk of it has been incredibly challenging, for a lot, it’s shaken up how they view their existing and well-established service models for the better.
