3 Key
Trends on Display at 2023 National Restaurant Association Show
A majority
(62%) of foodservice operators are currently understaffed, according to the National
Restaurant Association's State of the Restaurant Industry Report, 2023.
Foodservice
operators gathered in Chicago for the 2023 National Restaurant Association
Show recently to see the latest in food & beverages and technologies
for the restaurant industry. With labor shortages a key issue among restaurant
owners, exhibitors focused on solutions designed to help operators with
attracting and retaining workers. An abundance of time-saving, fully cooked
foods, robots, and POS systems were on display in Chicago.
Fully
Cooked Foods
Using fully
cooked meats and vegetables in the kitchen not only reduces food preparation
time and improves consistency but allows restaurant owners to hire workers with
less experience.
Tyson
Foods Inc. showcased
its new Hillshire Farm Carved Pork Belly as an elevated and versatile
ingredient that can work in many dishes. The product won the National
Restaurant Association's Food and Beverage (FABI) Award. Tyson Foods stated
that the ready to serve product can work for multiple dayparts and cuisines
such as tacos and a Thai-style red curry pizza that was served at the 2023
National Restaurant Association Show.
Grecian
Delight | Kronos
introduced a new Coconut Curry Chicken flavor to its ReadyCarved line of
global proteins. Like the other ReadyCarved whole-muscle varieties including
Chicken Shawarma and Pork Al Pastor, these fully cooked, pre-seasoned, and
pre-sliced products allow restaurants to offer authentic ethnic flavors to
diners without requiring preparation time. Roland Foods, LLC displayed
time-saving products such as Roland Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, which are
sliced and ready-to-use.
Robots
A robotic
bartender that can chat with customers and mix cocktails was the highlight of
the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show.
Cecilia.ai from GKI Group is the world's
first interactive robotic bartender according to the company. Cecilia is a 3D
avatar powered by conversational AI (artificial intelligence) and voice
recognition abilities that can make conversation while mixing about 120
cocktails and mocktails per hour (without engaging in conversations).
Using
conversational AI, Cecilia can guide customers through the menu and tell jokes
while making customized cocktails on demand.
Additionally,
Atosa USA, Inc. showcased its Intelligent French Fry Robotic Solution
that won the National Restaurant Association's 2023 Kitchen Innovations Award.
Robot servers that bring trays of food to diners' tables can free up employees
to interact with customers while reducing the physical burden of carrying heavy
plates back-and-forth. Bear Robotics, Inc. highlighted its robots'
ability to provide greater efficiency and guest experiences. Its Servi+
hospitality robot offers increased capacity (16+ dishes or 4 standard bus
tubs), and expanded 88-pound payload.
AUTEC also displayed a sushi-making robot;
the ASM865A Maki Maker can produce up to 1300 rice sheets per hour for
sushi rolls and burritos. Akiko Yamaguchi, marketing director for AUTEC,
told The Food Institute that its sushi robots are especially popular in
the college and university setting where student workers frequently turn over.
POS
Systems on Display
POS
(point-of-sale) systems are evolving into business operating systems according
to Bryan Solar, chief product officer, at SpotOn.
While 80% of
the market is still on legacy POS systems, restaurant operators are moving
towards cloud-based POS systems as they learn how using technology can protect
their profits through an understanding of costs, Solar told The Food Institute.
More than 40% of foodservice operators are reportedly planning to invest in
technology or equipment to increase productivity, the NRA said.
The new
SpotOn Handheld device helps servers turn tables faster through quicker bill
presentation and payment, while the SpotOn Reserve restaurant reservation
system helps hosts seat guests faster by providing table information with flags
that show statuses like drinks, main course, or check paid. In the back-of-the
house, restaurants are using kitchen display systems – a large screen in the
kitchen that displays ticket orders in real-time – to track, route, and
prioritize orders to improve accuracy. Food
Institute Focus
Study:
Plant-Based Attains Popularity with Gen Z
An
eye-opening 81% of college students will choose a plant-based food offering
when it's the default option, according to a recent study led by foodservice
provider Sodexo.
And these
Gen Zers are more interested in plant-based options than previous generations.
"A lot of
college-aged individuals are much more aware of not only the health benefits of
plant-based eating, but of its impact on the impending climate crisis," said
Matthew Kenney, CEO of Matthew Kenney Cuisine and co-founder of Ntidote.
"Educational content and information about climate change has never been as
ubiquitous as it is now, and that evokes a reaction from the younger generation
due to the sheer urgency of it."
Knowing
this, what can food manufacturers do to capitalize? Let's break down the study
and see what experts had to say:
Key
Plant-Based Findings
The study,
which was led by Sodexo, along with the Food for Climate League, and Better
Food Foundation, observed dining halls at three universities. The study
noted what would happen if plant-based dishes were presented as the default
option versus a meat option. Eight meals were offered in the dining halls,
which offered one vegan and one meat option.
The meals
were then presented in two different ways – plant default and control days. On plant
default days, only the vegan options were put out, but students had the option
to ask for the meat alternative. On control days, meat and plant-based options
were offered side-by-side.
The eventual
findings: on plant-default days, 81% of students stuck with the vegan option –
which was an increase from the 31% of students who regularly chose the
plant-based option. The findings also showed that students were more likely to
express satisfaction with plant-based meals on days when it was the default
option.
Key Conclusions
Based on
findings from the study, Sodexo concluded that using plant-based as a default
option can help create a positive attitude toward a vegan meal, and that
normalizing plant-based foods could make this option even more popular among
Gen Z-aged consumers.
"This study
confirms what we've seen repeatedly – that Gen Z students are not only open to
plant-centered dining...they feel good about eating in places that (feature)
plant-based meals," Jennifer Channin, the Better Food Foundation's
executive director, said in a press release.
"These
findings give us hope that the plant-centered food system our world needs is
easier to achieve than we used to think."
The Food
Institute spoke with
a few experts who weighed in on what can be done to make plant-based options
more appealing to the masses.
Increasing
Plant-Based Appeal
Fergus
Smithers, head chef
at plant-based food subscription service Grubby, told The Food
Institute that getting in front of school-aged consumers is key. Free
samples are a great example of this and it's also a great way to get feedback
from them, Smithers said.
‘In my
opinion the best way to get students to choose plant-based food options is to
make them relatable," the chef added. "Design dishes and menus around recipes
that students are likely to be cooking in their student halls. There's no point
in trying to reinvent the wheel."
Marketing
expert Kay Gowrinath said it's essential that companies like food
manufacturers look at the driving factors for college-aged students.
"Speed,
convenience and cost should be considered alongside ethical components,
including packaging choices and sustainability," Gowrinath, the managing
director of Xquisite Productions, said regarding plant-based products.
"A strong brand that's well-positioned and culturally inclusive will tend to do
well, especially if they're creative enough to connect with the customers in
real life and via the digital world in which they're immersed." Food Institute Focus
Poll
Shows Americans Have Become Adventurous Eaters
A recent
survey suggests there's pent-up demand to eat out — and to try new flavors — as
American consumers become more adventurous eaters.
Nearly half
of the survey's respondents (47%) said they're tired of cooking the same foods
at home. Findings also showed that the average American tries at least six new
recipes per month, reported talker.news.
Market
research firm OnePoll surveyed 2,000 Americans and found that more than
half of them (53%) consider themselves adventurous eaters. Some 58% of
respondents reimagine food by adding different seasonings, while 52% indicated
they often use different base ingredients. Meanwhile, Americans expressed an
openness to trying international cuisine, with 42% saying they had tried
Vietnamese food, while 36% of respondents indicated they had tried Indian food,
for example.
"Global
cuisine is very on-trend right now," said Megan Wortman, executive director of
the American Lamb Board (the organization which commissioned the study).
"The new
generations are looking for bolder flavors and aren't afraid to try new things,"
Raji Sankar, co-founder of Choolaah Indian BBQ restaurants,
recently told The Food Institute. "Americans have become huge fans of
international cuisines like Asian, Italian, Mexican, and Vietnamese. ... Part of
it is how global our world is [now]; the Internet gives access to anything and
everything."
The COVID-19
pandemic created an opportunity for restaurants offering bold international
cuisine, as many customers grew desperate for unique flavors not found in their
pantry.
OnePoll's
findings showed the average American would travel nearly a half hour to eat
their favorite food. Finally, the poll also revealed the top factors that
inspire consumers to try a new cuisine, including:
· Friend or family
member recommendation – 47%
· If it was conveniently
located/nearby – 39%
· When I am
traveling to that location – 35%
· My partner
encouraged me to try it – 27%
· Someone else
cooks it for me – 24%
Read more: Food Institute Focus
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