I have been in the restaurant business since 1982 and have been a consultant since 1987. I have seen many changes in the past 28 years. The trend I see happening in the future is a new market segment; “Fresh Fast Casual”. In the middle 1980’s when Wolfgang Puck started his fusion cuisine, the road to great restaurants took some wild curves. In 1991 I designed a restaurant concept called “Fasta Pasta” it was the Italian forerunner to today’s Salsarita’s, Costa Vitas’ and Moe’s fresh Mexican concepts. In an era when everything was coming in premade, we made it fresh from our pasta’s to our sauces. That is where I see the future in the restaurant industry going is freshly made ethnic cuisines. And with the big push with “green” natural, organic fruits, meats, and vegetables, as well a purchasing from local farmers markets, or local farms. I think that gone are the days of gas ripened fruits and vegetables from big supply houses. Look at Sam’s club and Costco and the amount of organic foods they are now carrying.
To keep more money in house, inventories will go down and we will see more controls come on spending, production and costs of goods. Guests will pay a higher price for food if the perceived value is justified, and they enjoyed their dining experience. This includes ambiance, and service.
If anyone has any further questions or would like to carry on this conversation further, please feel free to contact me at
newerafoodbeverage@gmail.com.