Every year brings with it a change in the business environment and the restaurant industry is no exception. Consumer behaviour from preceding years give a glimpse of what to expect in the coming year. For the shrewd restaurateur, these are some of the trends to expect and prepare for in 2019.
More take-outs
The number of people ordering take-outs continues to increase with each passing year. The number is expected to escalate in 2019. Consumers prefer to have a wider choice as to where they eat. They expect their favourite restaurants to be flexible and deliver their food wherever they choose to dine, whether it is at home or at the office. To meet this customer need, restaurants should assess their internal processes to determine if they are making it easy for customers to order in. They also need to ensure their delivery system is efficient. If need be, restaurants could partner with delivery companies such as Uber Eats to make sure their customers get their food on time.
Digital uptake
In line with the increase in ordering take-outs will be an increase in the use of applications (apps) that are designed to make the reservation and ordering experience easier. Restaurants using these apps could see an increase in sales as it has been noticed that customers who place their orders digitally are likely to buy more. This also applies to online ordering. Therefore restaurants should ensure their websites are easy to navigate and consumers can place orders from any page on the site.
Photo ready dishes
It is not only the taste of the food that scores high points with customers, the presentation is key too. With the prevalence of social media, consumers are sharing photos of what they eat on their favourite channels. Restaurants are already creating menu items that are designed to look good on video and photographs, such as colour changing cocktails. This trend will continue to grow as restaurants use pictures to tell a story about their offering.
Ethnic flavours
There has been a rise in the use of ingredients found in Israeli recipes and it is forecasted that more flavours commonly used in places such Lebanon, Libya and Turkey will find their way into more restaurants. Chefs will find new ways of using these ingredients to offer customers unique culinary experiences.
In-store dining
As retailers try to keep shoppers in-store, there has been an upsurge of in-store restaurants. With this model, customers can pause their shopping for a relaxing meal and thereafter carry on where they had left off. This allows for a seamless shopping experience. It is predicted that more businesses, not just retailers, will follow this trend. This may open up opportunities for restaurateurs to partner with other businesses and open branches of their restaurants inside stores or banks.
Watching industry trends helps to prepare restaurants to compete in an ever-changing business environment. By thinking ahead and gearing up to embrace these trends, your restaurant will continually live up to consumer expectations.
