Chasin' The Next Big Thing . . . It's not a Bang!
I meet with people from time to time
whose goal in life is to create that next great food idea that will
revolutionize the industry as we know it. Most of the time, these would-be builders of the better mouse trap end up cobbling some other concepts together and slap new or improved on it. Independent copycat operators rarely out-think, cook or mange their larger and more successful brethren. The food business tends to be more about evolution than revolution. I dare say there are a few concepts, however, that are converging and could . . . if all the moons align . . . create the next big thing.
Don’t just Talk Fresh to Me. The concept of fresh is becoming the dog everyone wants to chase. Several industry experts even suggest that fast casual’s version 2.0 incarnation is "fresh casual". Customers react
favorably to fresh concepts and the mounting evidence does suggest
they will open their wallet a bit wider for it (although i am not sure anyone could identify free range beef in a lineup). Fresh is about being authentic and having nothing to hide . . . in food quality or preparation.
The Show Must go on. The
celebrity chef and food TV craze teaches us that people crave food to be showy and experiential. Diners will absolutely accept cooking as entertainment. Forty years ago it
was about throwing pizza or flipping shrimp tails
into your hat. Now it’s about being visible and cooking fresh and fast on display . . . where the diner's dine.
You Look Maaaaarvelous. As recently as the fast casual boom, there hasn't been much focus placed on how it looks on delivery (until Chipotle changed their silver foil to gold). The emergence of several food genres where presentation is part of the package, such as sushi (more on sushi as the fifth food group in a future blog), has spawned a whole breed of diners who care about how their food is organized on the plate. Look for how it looks to be a bigger part of your dining experience.
What’s mine is mine and what’s
yours is mine too! The distant cousin of tapas . . . the small plates menu is gaining steam among diners. Although some chains are trying to make this about food cost, the real cookie here is the cooperative dining experience. This type of meal responds to not only the need to communicate to get the food in your area code, but also the unique female trait of “… Can I just get a taste of that?”. Some of the most fun parts of entertaining is when I drop a series of bite-sized delicacies on the table and force clients to cooperate to eat. Perfect and package this concept and good food and fun await.
A Chair is still a chair. Unless
the damn thing is hard. Ditch the cold, hard and uninviting interiors for the more customer comfortable and friendly versions already. Trade signs and modified authentic environments in favor of seating that doesn't have the comfort of a dinette in a Flintstones episode. The coffee house fundamentals of soft seating and earthy living room interiors is on the way . . . be on the lookout.
So there you have them . . . emerging morsels coming to an eatery near you. Find them all in one place . . . perhaps not. Expect that your current hangouts will capitalize on these ideas to become or remain relevant . . . absolutely. Know of other trends the industry needs to adopt? Join the conversation.
Food for Thought
I'm game for joining in the conversation. On the Fresh concept, I don't know - fresh is sort of like local, it cost more so either the prices are higher or portions smaller - or both. For the average American that has become so accustomed to the all you can eat buffet, it's still a hard sell. Trying to convert people to healthier options also means that the proteins are no longer the center of the plate focus. Another hard sell. And do people REALLY want to see what is going on in the kitchens? Even with open kitchens the often don't see because of rear kitchens and advanced prep. To me the key is where the ingredients come from, how they are raised, harvested and handled.
ReplyDeleteSmall plates have existed long before the tapas craze and in most places was more of a male thing - standing up having a drink and small bites. As for sharing, I think it is a great way to dine. It's good social interaction. We shared tapas with strangers in Barcelona and tried things we wouldn't have ordered. It's also a good way to eat those healthier smaller portions because instead of having a big plate of food in front of you and remember your mom always telling you to clean your plate because there were kids starving in Africa, you order a couple, eat, maybe order another one or two. But you have time to feel the fullness before you have gorged.
Love places that have comfortable seating though sometimes a good aluminum naval chair is incredibly comfortable! Sperry's, Cafe le Crumb, Blackstone Brewery in Nashville have all had some cozy seating. Problem is making sure it is functional as well as cozy looking and comfortable. For instance, the upholstered bench near the fireplace at Blackstone isn't comfortable for sitting very long since it doesn't have a back. Chairs are too far apart and away from places to put your drink and/or food. The sofa at Cafe le Crumb is so fun - purple velvet. But you sink into it and it's hard to eat and find a place to put your food much less lean forward to the coffee table or get up with your beverage or food in your hands. I think there is a market here for some sort of hybrid furniture that looks and feels like home but makes dining easy. Key also is to provide close, easily accessible tables to the sides rather then putting chairs around low coffee tables and such.