As a foodservice franchisor, it’s imperative to stay ahead of food trends and furnish customers with the latest flavors. Here are some tips to get your brand up to date with the latest 2023 food trends.
From data.com/en/platform/’ target=’_blank’>menu data and restaurant tech coverage to sales prospecting that can benefit your sales team to tailored marketing techniques, there are many ways to keep up with ever-evolving food trends. Additionally, the right form of data enrichment paired with the correct set of market insights can offer you more comprehensive direction.
For the best chance of success when broadening your foodservice franchise operations, delve into the five essential steps to get you started:
1. Research and Understand the Market
Before making any decisions about what you will be offering your customers, investigate the foodservice industry market. Start with an understanding of your target market- who are you catering to? Knowing this will help you denote what trends are going to make it big and which flavors are already established as customer favorites. Try to ask yourself questions such as “Who lives in the area?”, “What flavors resonate with them?”, “What flavors are they likely to be interested in?”.
Utilize data from the foodservice industry like Brizo to gain a deeper understanding of your target consumers. This data offers valuable insights into specific foodservice markets including data fields that are specific to the food industry. Having access to such data is extremely meaningful when it comes to making decisions about upcoming flavors, such as 2023’s flavor trends.
2. Keep a Close Eye on New Flavors
Follow the latest food trends to stay ahead of the game. Have an active presence on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Follow food influencers who are keeping an eye on what’s trending in the foodservice industry. Also, explore recipes, food shows, restaurants, magazines, blogs, and other sources to understand running themes and what customers are seeking out in 2020.
Keep in mind, however, that when it comes to selecting flavors for the new year, “trends” aren’t always the same thing as “tastes” – so you should be aware of what people actually enjoy eating. Just because something is recognized as a “trend” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily popular. In fact, trends often change more quickly than tastes do; use the data you have to inform your decision-making process.
3. Create a Balancing Act
Stay updated with 2023 flavors while offering what customers recognize and appreciate. When it comes to flavors, you have to find a balance between what’s new and what’s established. Having both creates a stickiness factor – customers come back to the brand, as they know they’ll always find something familiar along with something they haven’t had before.
Take popular flavors and put a new spin on them. A good way to start is by taking a classic dish and then experimenting with variations containing new flavors. The new menu can offer customers a chance to discover something new while still letting them experience the flavors they know and love.
4. Make Use of Platforms
It is very important to use the data available from knowledgeable platforms like Brizo to enhance your decision making process when selecting food trends as it can be used to analyze and compare menu items. Utilizing data-driven insights and analytics can provide an idea of what customers are likely to order. This is beneficial in helping you decide which flavors to go with as you can determine what’s most popular with customers.
You could also use the platform to refine and enrich your system with more comprehensive market insights. Having reliable and accurate data can educate your team on market trends and give you a better picture of what customers will gravitate towards in the upcoming year.
5. Look for Innovation Opportunities
Finally, don’t be afraid to push boundaries to introduce innovative flavors to your customers. Keep in mind the fact that customers appreciate being offered something new and interesting. As hard as it is to bet on a flavor, using data to your advantage can help tip the odds in your favor. By doing this, you can streamline production with successful innovation and ultimately expand your brand.
The foodservice industry is ever-evolving and provides a lot of potential for growth. With a targeted understanding of the foodservice market and available tools like Brizo, any food service franchise can stay ahead of the 2023 food trends to stand out from the competition.
