What are the current trends in food service industry?

Answer 1

Trend 1: Money Spent at Foodservice Establishments Continues to Grow

During the last 10 years there have been noticeable changes in the eating habits of Americans. These changes have been reflected in increases of money spent at foodservice establishments compared with money spent on in-home meals. However, this does not mean that fewer meals are eaten at home. On the contrary, the number of meals has not changed, just the origin or substance of those meals. The growing availability of take-out meals from restaurants well illustrates this trend. This not only allows the customer to eat at home, but satisfies another of the recent trends in eating: people craving high quality meals with short to no preparation time.

Trend 2: Convenience Is King

The rise in convenience foods over the last 10 years has been illustrated in the steady growth of fast-food chains in the United States. The broad success of the cell phone is symbolic of Americans' greater mobility. This on-the-run mentality has created the need for quick, easy-to-prepare foods. The increase in single parent households, women in the workplace, and the amount of disposable income of teenagers have added to the need for ready-to-eat meals. Convenience foods need to be easy to make for any age group, with easy cleanup and little or no waste. Most meals are eaten on-the-go, so the ability to hold the food item with one hand and the freedom to eat without utensils are important.

Trend 3: Healthy Is "In"

Another trend in U.S. eating habits is the desire for healthy meals. Whether eating at home or out, consumers are starting to demand healthy alternatives to the usual menu fair. This change has been spawned by increased public awareness of Heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. Along with disease awareness has come public education on disease prevention--most of all, by modification of the diet. People now take into account more than ever the amount of calories, fat, and sodium consumed. Other popular concerns include all natural ingredients and use of organic produce.

Trend 4: More Than Just Meat and Potatoes

In addition to healthy foods, consumers are requesting more multicultural meals. With minority populations growing at increasing rates, the mobility of consumers, and the globalization of the marketplace, consumer tastes are broadening to include many different cultures. For example, a decade ago Mexican restaurants were few and far-between but have now joined Italian and Chinese restaurants in the mainstream market (Mills, 2000). With Hispanic and African-American populations on the rise in the United States, additional changes for the restaurant industry are imminent.

Trend 5: Is Our Food Safe?

Lastly, there has been increased public concern about food safety. After outbreaks such as the E. coli O157:h7 in ground beef at Jack-in-the-Box restaurants and the amplified use of genetically modified foods, consumers are looking for assurances that their food is safe and that its safety is maintained throughout the cooking process.

Answer 2

Now the banquet has reached to its extreme level and it has become a fashion in modern days to orgnaise the banquet functions at the hotel,restaurant,lawns,marriage.

Every hotel has a banquet fecilities to cater the different segment of client.

Some people orgnaise the outdoor banquets aswell to have unique experience.

It would be ashtonishing to know that now most of the hotel are generating the revenue with their banquets only by catering the weddings,birthday celebrations,get together etc.

Where you need to entertain lots of vendor as well in terms of getting manpower,tenting,lenin which is require for the biggest funtion as hotel dont keep much materials to play banquets apart from the regular.

Thnaks, Sanjay Tiwari,

Answer 3

Elimination of trans fat. Low carb meals. Healthy food.

Hey, am also searching for some similar data. Can you please share if you come across any resource online?

Answer 4

Taste and cheap

Answer 5

Local Drafts and seasonal cocktails