What will 2024 bring to the table for the foodservice and hospitality industry? Without a crystal ball, understanding consumer demands, evolving technologies, and keeping pace with emerging trends is the best way to prepare for what comes next.
Don’t risk falling behind! Drive foot traffic and increase profitability in 2024 by leveraging the following industry trends:
Make Take-Out Simple
Eating off-premises will remain popular as online orders comprise 40% of total restaurant sales. Offer a quick and easy way for diners to order meals to-go with delivery service and convenient curbside pick-up.
Small Plates and Snacks
With affordability on consumers’ minds, you can cater to everybody’s budget with small plates, afternoon snacks, and mini, single-serve desserts. These menu additions address diners’ desire for a little indulgence while supporting smaller portion sizes to help lower your food costs.
Adopt Technology
According to a survey conducted by Restaurants Canada, 30% of respondents intend to incorporate new technology in 2024 to reduce operating costs. Adopting technology solutions to streamline menu changes, manage your staff, control inventory, and automate manual tasks will add speed to service and boost the customer experience.
Eating Experiences
Customers crave shared experiences. Go beyond the meal and elevate guest engagement by offering a private cooking class or a wine tasting session. Entertaining guests with personalized experiences will attract more diners in 2024.
Eco-Conscious
Sustainability, local food sourcing, carbon footprint, and food waste are top-of-mind among consumers and business owners. 2024 is the year to take steps toward environmentally friendly business practices in both the front- and back-of-house.
Breakfast Boom
The hunt for an affordable dine-in experience will lead to more breakfast orders during the week and more breakfast orders for dinner. Brunch remains attractive to consumers for its low average check size.Shifts in consumer behavior and spending present an opportunity to stand out from the competition and appeal to more guests. Adapting to the changing business landscape may require new (or better) supplier relationships, a tech upgrade, and adjustments to your product mix. If you don’t know how to get started, a Groupex consultant likely has a resource or idea to help implement updates and improvements.
As Canada’s leading Buying Group, Groupex has an established network of partners and offers an array of personalized services that can help members take business operations to the next level.
