New realities have shifted space allocation strategies.
One restaurant operator segment well-positioned to weather challenging conditions, including economic downturns and even a pandemic, is pizza. This food’s popularity shows no signs of waning as its variety of toppings, crust options and formats continues to keep pace with consumer trends and demand.
Like so many other hospitality providers, hotel restaurants have undergone an identity shift.
Bars and restaurants continue to incorporate unique and specific glassware in response to the burgeoning demand for high-end cocktails and spirits.
A broader, more dynamic version of self-service is emerging.
One strategy that operators use to attract new customers and satisfy existing ones is changing their menus. They might add a new item or introduce a new, trendy preparation. Or they might switch to an entirely new cuisine. The question is: How do these changes affect the back of the house? Does the kitchen have to adapt to produce the new features?
Ever heard of the term “flex kitchen?” That was new to me when Bella Karakis, CEO, founder e.terra, first introduced the concept.
Restaurants and foodservice accounts continue to sit up and take notice what customers want from their food packaging. Over the past 18 months, with more takeout and to-go orders than ever, materials that keep food hot (or cold) and retain its quality and integrity have been increasingly in demand.
While there may be a more relaxed dress code and fewer white tablecloths at fine dining establishments today, the quality of service and the menus remain in the upper echelon of dining.
Built-in flexibility, from vendors to equipment, add to the resiliency of food halls.
Brands continue to redesign their exterior pickup approaches with speed and better service in mind.
Most people in the foodservice industry think of equipment repairs as “service calls.” While that’s not wrong, it is limiting. The companies that maintain and repair equipment are not just businesses to call, but firms to build relationships with.
Ghost kitchens continue to change the foodservice landscape, allowing concepts to fill in their footprints and move into areas that may not otherwise be viable via brick and mortar locations. Seeing an opportunity, many ghost kitchen operators have seemingly appeared out of nowhere to rent kitchen space not spooked by this new opportunity.
Piggybacking on the success of meal kits delivered to homes, many restaurants added meal kit variations to carryout menus as a revenue driver in the last 18 to 24 months.
There’s a strong possibility, foodservice designers say, that the servery of the future won’t look exactly like it does today.
