I’m not sure about you, but sometimes I think it’s hard to keep up to pace with all the latest industry trends going on around the world. To keep up to speed you need to spend a lot of time reading, researching, following different social media platforms and listening to people. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing it – how can you not love eating out in lots of different places, all in the name of research! It is also vitally important to look outside of the hospitality industry, to see what external influences might have an impact.
The result is, I often get asked what are the trends to take note off, or what are just fads of the moment?
Different markets have different trends, so it isn’t a “one trend fits all” approach. The first thing to think through is, who is your target audience? That said, you could argue there are some trends that affect multiple segments. So, here we go and in no priority order, my view on trends to sit up and take note of:
Collaboration
Companies should look to partner with other companies/specialist providers and not feel they need to self-deliver everything. Don’t be afraid to act as an agent and give your clients what they want.
Deliveries
You only have to look to the USA to see the power of the delivery model, not just to homes but to the workplace. Larger offices should consider having dedicated desks to take in deliveries and be able to handle this market professionally.
Self-order and self-check out options
I hate queuing to pay, especially if I have already queued to order my food. With a shrinking labour market, it is sensible to move to a self-check out/ordering an option.
Do you need a staff restaurant?
I have seen the growth of high street food halls in the USA and it’s coming to the UK. If you can have a food hall at the bottom of the building which is open to everyone, why do you need an onsite facility taking up space in your building?