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Local sourcing, healthy kids’ meals to be top menu trends; onsite barrel-aging, food-spirits pairings to be top drink menu trends
Artisan products, local sourcing and culinary creativity are trendy on restaurant menus and our new research shows that to also be true behind the bar, Increasing recognition of mixology has elevated restaurant drink menus to a new level that allows bartenders to showcase their skills in blending textures and flavors similarly to how chefs approach food in the kitchen. This is good news for today’s increasingly sophisticated and adventurous consumers, who have a wider variety of alcoholic beverages from which to choose when dining out.”
What’s hot chef survey – top 10 menu trends for 2013:
- Locally sourced meats and seafood
- Locally grown produce
- Healthful kids’ meals
- Environmental sustainability as a culinary theme
- Children’s nutrition as a culinary theme
- New cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, teres major)
- Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)
- Gluten-free cuisine
- Sustainable seafood
- Whole grain items in kids’ meals
“What’s hot bartender survey – top 10 drink menu trends for 2013:
- Onsite barrel-aged drinks
- Food-liquor/cocktail pairings
- Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
- Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
- Locally produced spirits
- Locally sourced fruit/berries/produce
- Beer sommeliers/Cicerones
- Regional signature cocktails
- Beer-based cocktails
- Locally produced beer
When it comes to technology trends, just over one-quarter of the chefs (27 percent) ranked tablet computers, such as iPads, as the hottest technology trend in restaurants in 2013, followed closely by smartphone apps (25 percent), and mobile/wireless/pay-at-the-table (19 percent). Among the bartenders, two out of five (40 percent) ranked social media marketing and loyalty programs as the hottest technology trend in 2013, followed by tablet computers, such as iPads (29 percent), and smartphone apps (14 percent).
Visit the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot. Hot Food List for 2013 and the Hot Drink List for 2013
A little about International Restaurant & Hospitality Consulting Group. IRHC Group is an International restaurant and hospitality consulting firm. We are based in Orlando, Florida, the Hospitality Capital of the World, and have regional offices in Las Vegas, London United Kingdom, India, Brazil & Dubai. We work across the world, specializing in concept creation, development, and turning around operational challenged businesses..
We are highly specialist and stay close to our expertise in food service operations, restaurants, casinos, hotels and leisure.
We differentiate ourselves from our competitors by always beginning with, The Guest Experience, The Employee Training Experience, and the Brand Experience are given the upmost priority when we approach a project. We have opened and managed over 350 restaurants across the US, Middle East, Asia and Europe, and developed 66 concepts.
Our unique experience provides rare capability and expertise for our clients, given our ability to bring together some of the advanced food and restaurant concepts presently found around the globe. We retain the knowledge, experience, and ability to take account of regional considerations such as local demographics, culture and tastes, therefore, our skill set becomes invaluable when developing uniquely differentiated concepts adopted for integrated markets.
The IRHC Group team has consulted with some of the world’s most eminent Chefs, and upscale restaurant groups, in addition to working with clients in: entertainment, casual dining, fast casual dining, resorts, theme parks and travel. In each project we have been involved in all areas of the business, and have delivered programs and plans that have targeted the elevation of concept positioning, product and menu, operating standards, infrastructure, and overall quality. Our larger clients include: Darden, Brinker, Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, Universal Studios Orlando, W Hotel, Hilton Hotels, Le Meridian Hotels, Loews Hotels, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, ExxonMobil, Walt Disney Hotels and Resorts, TGI Friday’s, McDonalds amongst a very broad range of smaller yet very dynamic restaurant and hotel groups.
