Flavor trends are constantly changing in the food service industry, and keeping up with what’s in and what’s out can be a daunting task. While flavor trends often seem to come about and stem from changes in consumer tastes, it is often the case that there is more at play that can help restaurants and other food service businesses can leverage to optimize their offerings. At Brizo, we use data science and market insight to uncover the mysteries behind flavor trends and facilitate improved decision making in the restaurant and food & beverage industries.
Analysis of menu items and customer preferences can provide valuable insight into current flavor trends. One of the most useful methods for discerning current customer preferences is to conduct restaurant surveys to acquire data on what dishes people are ordering and what they like and don’t like. This combined with demographic data can provide a deep level of understanding into current flavor trends and which dishes are selling. Additionally, analyzing customer restaurant reviews can also reveal trends in which flavor combinations are gaining popularity and which should be avoided.
Data analysis can also be used to unearth trends in the pricing of ingredients as affected by seasonality and supply and demand, providing insight into when certain dishes might cost more or less. Such analysis can also help determine cost/benefit ratios for each dish on a menu and compare dishes from different restaurants in the same area.
Consumers’ behavior is constantly changing, and their preferences and tastes in moments of experience can be hard to predict. However, using tools such as predictive analytics can give a food service business a competitive edge by allowing them to anticipate changes in consumer behavior and adjust their menu offerings accordingly. Predictive analytics can also be used to understand what kind of dining experience customers want from the start, allowing businesses to curate their dishes to best match that experience.
It can be difficult to predict flavor trends, but understanding customer’s preferences and desires can lead to successful menu items and increased profitability. Statistics gathered from various sources can be used together to form a holistic picture of the current flavor trends and enable operators to make more performance-driven decisions. At Brizo, we understand the importance of market insight and use data science to provide our clients with the data-driven insights they need to make strategic decisions in the restaurant and food & beverage industries.
