Exciting news: Brizo FoodMetrics has been acquired by Datassential! Learn more.
For franchisors looking to expand their locations and better understand local food trends in 2023, data-led insights can be a powerful tool. Businesses of all sizes, from established global franchises to small start-ups, must stay abreast of changing customer tastes and behaviors in order to stay competitive. In this guide, we take a journey through the key factors impacting the foodservice market in 2023, from menu trends and restaurant tech to sales and marketing strategies.
Aspire to stay ahead of the competition with this comprehensive guide on foodservice trends. With the vitality of the foodservice industry heavily depending on innovation and timely decisions, embracing the potential of data-driven insights will give franchisors a distinct advantage and offer greater insights into customer behavior.
Menu Trends in 2023
As customers become increasingly more health-conscious, vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based food will be a major trend in 2023. With this being said, expect more franchises to add plant-based protein alternatives on their menus or to re-think their primary offerings entirely. Driven by sustainability and health-consciousness, responsibly-sourced ingredients will become increasingly more common and, as environmentalism continues to be prioritized, this trend is only set to increase.
Familiar dishes will also be more popular this year, with comfort food and twists on classic favorites gaining greater traction. Customers are increasingly in search of indulgent, generous portions, and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE, recently backed this trend by introducing an initiative that awards restaurants for offering generous portions. With 2023 seeing an emphasis on affordability, family-sized deals are likely to be a key trend. Trading lunch and dinner menus and opt for an all-day menu, which gives customers more options at any time.
Restaurant Tech
In-store technologies are playing an ever-increasing role in the foodservice industry, and 2023 will certainly not be an exception. Restaurants are utilizing a range of ordering and delivery platforms, such as Skip the Dishes and Ubereats, to broaden their customer base, increasing their brand’s outreach, and collecting data on their customers and orders. Incorporating digital ordering and payment terminals is also becoming increasingly popular, enabling franchise owners to scale and streamline their operations.
Social delivery robots are also emerging as a disruptive trend. Automation provides useful solutions by decreasing delivery wait times and removing the risk of restaurant staff potentially getting sick, and thus, developing a healthier customer base.
Sales Prospecting
Sales teams must strikingly carry out well-targeted research and prospect for new customers in order for franchises to achieve their expected growth rate. To do this, franchisors should equip their sales teams with data-driven information they need in order to make smarter, well-informed decisions. Sales teams should also consider marketing to hotels, colleges, and universities, as these are generally large customers, and regionally focused sales staff can help increase sales figures by developing specific connections in a certain geographic area.
Find Kitchens to Further Expansion
The potential foodservice market in 2023 offers franchisors the opportunity to streamline production innovation with data-driven market intelligence and strategically expand their brand. Knowing what facilities are available in a particular area and learning about prices and availability are important considerations when franchisors are selecting locations, and this can be achieved through tapping into foodservice industry data. Accessing data on industrial kitchens and related services can offer a competitive advantage as it allows franchise owners to evaluate potential opportunities through cost comparisons.
Data Enrichment
In order to make wiser, data-driven decisions, franchisors must be verifiable and comprehensive about their market insights. With more accurate and MPS up-to-date insights, franchisors can expand their menu offerings and better capture their customer base. Data enrichment can involve more detailed customer military, menus and pricing, as well as industry highlights and trends. Additionally, franchises must take into consideration more complex aspects of restaurant operations, such as employee wages, increase.
Being able to source and understand relevant, up-to-date data allows franchisors to tap into the opportunities that the foodservice market offers. To stay ahead of the competition in this ever-changing market, franchisors must sharpen their insights on trends in menu, restaurant tech, sales, and marketing strategies by leveraging data in order to secure a strong position in the market.
