The foodservice industry is rapidly changing. As customers preferences become more specialized and innovative, restaurants, hospitality services, and manufacturers have to stay on top of the market to stay ahead of their competitors. According to the National Restaurant Association, “adoption of new technologies is accelerating in Restaurants”, “dining environments are increasing in value.” To make sure that they’re able to fully capitalize on these trends, businesses need to stay informed of the food flavor trends that are sweeping not just their own region, but the entire country.
Brizo is a market leading provider for food service research and prospecting, and is uniquely tailored to the industry with expertise rooted in the science of flavor trends and flavor intelligence. By leveraging its world-class data and insights, businesses can accurately assess which flavors are trending, and plan their offering (or expansion) accordingly to cater to the latest in what their customer base is looking for.
One key trend that Brizo research has identified is the powerful influence of home cooking on restaurant choices. Home cooking has been and will continue to be a staple of the restaurant industry. Many customers are making restaurant choice decisions more heavily informed by the foods they are preparing at home, recently emphasizing global flavors like Indian, Mexican, Korean, and Japanese. This means that by 2023 restaurants should be prepared to provide menus that feature more culturally diverse cuisines or approach classic dishes with an adventurous spin.
The use of sweet and savory flavors is on the rise, as customers seek out the perfect meal balance. Restaurants can benefit from the vibrant mix of flavor sensations that incorporate a number of sweet, salty, and tangy elements into their dishes. Sweet heat blends are increasingly popular, with the pairing of both sweet and spicy ingredients becoming the go-to combination. Bold flavor notes and intense aromas also play a large role in the popularity of certain menu items.
Organic ingredients are becoming more widely requested, and Brizo analysis shows that chefs and food service industry professionals are more and more likely to veer away from artificial additives and toward natural ingredients to give food sharper flavors. Taste differentiators like umami can also go a long way in creating a unique, crave-worthy dish that has customers coming back.
Consumers are more and more likely to be health conscious when making their restaurant choices. Health-focused flavor options feature prominently in top restaurant selections, so restaurants should take care to provide a variety of options that uphold a healthy lifestyle mindset. Gluten free and plant-based diets are becoming ever more popular, and certain restaurants have leveraged these diets to stand out by providing an expansive, incredibly diverse range of meals that are based around clean, nutritious ingredients.
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to menu additions or changes in the foodservice industry. For restaurants, it is important to understand regional preferences and flavor trends before making changes or additions. Brizo offers tailored data to fit specific industry needs, enabling restaurants and their customers to get the most out of their dining experiences.
Through the power of foodservice intelligence, manufacturers and restaurants can equip their sales teams and effectively attract more leads, streamline production, and better cater to their customers dining expectations. By understanding key food flavor trends for 2023, businesses are better equipped than ever to capitalize on the changing wishes of their customers and stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
