In our rapidly-evolving world, food & beverage businesses face a constant battle to keep up with the most current and popular trends. As if this industry doesn’t have enough on its plate, always staying the loop can be rather challenging. Here are 10 major trends that you should take note of!
1. Mobile Ordering
Convenience is always king. Giving your customers the convenience to order from their phones and then pick up later or use their favourite food delivery apps such as Uber Eats. This will keep customers ordering more frequently from your food & beverage businesses.
2. Customization
Given that everyone has different tastes- satisfy them all! Whether it’s adding customization options for mobile ordering or giving customers more options to “add” items to their meals, we encourage making customization easier at your business. For the most part, this will make everyone feel more satisfied with their food!
3. Sustainability
The census is in— straws are NOT cool in 2019. Finding clever ways to package to-go items are becoming more and more important to consumers. For this reason, it’s starting to become non-negotiable and we suggest you hop on the trend now!
4. Plant-Based Foods
Plant-based doesn’t sacrifice taste! More people are embracing this option as it becomes more available to the public. Not to mention, making people realize it does taste good! To satisfy the demand for plants, offer more plant protein options like Beyond Meat ™.
5. Low Sugar Options
Sugar has been busted! Consumers are catching on to the food industry’s tendency to over-pack products with sugar and are more concerned than ever with its health implications. With this in mind, help customers feel good about their food by ensuring it is sugar-free!
6. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods have made a comeback as consumers learn of their gut-healing magic. Offering up Kombucha as an alternative to soda or Sauerkraut as a topping will help satisfy the new demand for this gut-healing food.
7. Superfoods
Every few months a new superfood comes along that steals the spotlight. Some superfoods to keep your eye on this year include Hemp, Sumac, Tiger Nuts, Seaweed, and Maqui Berries. Incorporating these foods will get customers excited about new, trendy food items.
8. Allergy-Conscious Options
Most people either have allergies or have a friend or family member with allergies, so it’s no surprise allergy-free is trending. Including more menu options in your food & beverage businesses that avoid common allergens such as gluten, dairy and nuts will make eating out easier for everyone!
9. Wild Greens
The same old greens just won’t cut it! Greens that are typically considered “weeds” like sorrel, dandelion greens, and amaranth are now growing in popularity being served up in salads and other dishes and offering a unique flavour experience your customer may have not had before.
10. Anything Instagramable
Putting extra effort into the presentation of your food will both delight your customer and earn you free marketing on social media! For instance, outrageous ice creams with over-the-top toppings and creative displays entice customers to post on their Instagram and will then have all their friends asking “Where did you get that?”
Keeping up with current trends is one of the many challenges food & beverage businesses encounter. Inclera partners with you to provide payment processing, financial planning, and analytics solutions to take your business in the right direction. Want to learn more about what we can do for you? Follow us on social media!