An expansive presentation from the National Restaurant Association, which partnered with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and Technomic for the 17th annual What’s Hot in foodservice trends, is a kaleidoscope of local, regional and global dishes – many calling for onions in their prep.
The trends emerged from a survey “targeted to thought leaders in the culinary field,” and the download reads, “More than 500 professionals from the ACF and chefs associated with Association programs weighed in on what they see as the leading menu trends for the coming year.”
And while the chefs’ comments can be interpreted six ways from Sunday, they cannot be interpreted without onions. Virtually every category in the downloadable PDF file found at Whats-Hot-Culinary-Trends-2023.pdf (restaurant.org) is a vehicle for onions,
“Drawing on their culinary expertise, the Association forecast top menu trends from a list of 110 items in 11 categories, which were curated by the Association and Technomic’s Menu Research & Insights Division. Categories include dayparts, menu sections, alcohol and non-alcohol beverages, flavorings, global influences, and industry macro-trends. This report presents the top 10 Hot Trends overall, the top Hot Trend by category, and the top 3 Hot Trends from each category. Also included: Ones to watch—emerging trends—and trends that are cooling down,” the presentation notes,
Several factors obviously affect a consumer’s choice to dine out, with “pent-up demand” strong post-pandemic. “And although consumers feel inflationary pressures, the cost of groceries is currently outpacing higher menu prices (up 13.0 percent vs. 8.5 percent year-over-year in October). Even in inflationary times, consumers want to use restaurants.”
How operators “stay interesting and relevant to attract consumers” is key, and they know they must respond to changing customer demands.
“The proliferation of hand-held items, bowls, sandwiches, wraps and new sandwich carriers set up more menu items and meal solutions to go. Comfort foods and healthier items continue to trend in a classic face-off; consumers are loathe to part with either option.”
Consumers are, the researchers say, “hungry for the restaurant experience.”
“All restaurant dining is local, and according to the survey, more than 70 percent of respondents agree that customers want to gather on-premises — as hungry for connection as sustenance. More than 70 percent also say the chicken sandwich wars are still in play; in the lunch category, they grab two of the top three spots”.
Cutting to the chase, here are 10 Hot Trends for 2023:
- Experiences/local culture and community
- Fried chicken sandwiches & Chicken sandwiches 3.0 (i.e., spicy and sweet-heat fusion flavors on chicken, etc.)
- Charcuterie boards
- Comfort fare
- Flatbread sandwiches/healthier wraps
- Menu streamlining
- Sriracha variations
- Globally inspired salads
- Zero waste/Sustainability/Upcycled foods
- Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Singaporean, Philippine, etc.)
And the trends by category are:
- Breakfast: Value meals
- Lunch: Chicken sandwiches 3.0 (spicy and sweet-heat fusion flavors, etc.)
- Dinner: Less-expensive meat cuts (chicken thighs, beef chuck, pork shoulder, etc.)
- Desserts: Alternative sweeteners (maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc.)
- Snacks: Elevated bar snacks
- Appetizers and sides: Charcuterie boards
- Beverages non-alcohol: Oat, nut or seed milks
- Beverages alcohol: Spritzes
- Condiments, sauces, spices and seasonings: Sriracha variations
- Global trends: Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Singaporean, Philippine, etc.)
The top 3 macrotrends are:
1. Experiences/local culture and community
2. Comfort fare
3. Menu streamlining
There’s also a category called Ones to Watch, and these “emerging trends bear scrutiny as they could portend future hot trends. Global influences play a strong role in many of these potential up-and-comers. Diners, especially Gen Zs who are starting into their earning years, like to sample — and post about — breakthrough foods and flavors.”
So keep your eye on:
- Globally inspired sandwiches (Chinese Rou Jia Mo or jianbing, Argentine choripan, etc.)
- New sandwich carriers (paratha, roti, pastry buns, crepes, etc.)
- Amazake (Japanese drink made from fermented rice)
- Alfajor (sweet of almond paste, nuts, breadcrumbs and honey)
- Balkan (Croatian, Bulgarian, Turkish, etc.)
- Raki (Turkish alcohol made of twice-distilled grapes and anise)
- Automation technology (monitoring volume, temperature and time)
- Hawaiian haupia (coconut pudding)
- Huacatay (Peruvian black mint sauce)
- Elevated breakfast bowls (breakfast rice bowls, breakfast pasta bowls, etc.)
“Cooling are items that might safely be considered fads vs. trends, although word has it pickle pizza is delicious,” the presentation says.
So those fads/trends now cooling include:
1. Pickle pizza
2. Breakfast salads
3. Fried lasagna
4. Balsamic cocktails
5. Fruit-flavored coffee (e.g., banana, etc.)
6. Pickled French fries
7. Ranch water
8. Upscale pigs-in-a-blanket
9. Name-brand snacks (i.e., retail brands incorporated into restaurant recipes)
10. Crudité platter
It used to be called “grazing,” and now with remote work, All-Day Dining is a thing “Traditional meal periods are blurring thanks to the combination of access to menu options all hours of the day and consumers with very flexible schedules.”
So with those flexible schedules in mind, the Top 3 Breakfasts are:
1. Value meals
2. Unique handhelds (French toast sticks, chicken and waffle sandwiches, etc.)
3. Veggie-forward breakfasts (vegan tofu scramble, breakfast relleno, etc.)
The top 3 Lunches are
1. Chicken sandwiches 3.0 (spicy and sweet-heat fusion flavors on chicken, etc.)
2. Fried chicken sandwiches
3. Flatbread sandwiches/healthier wraps
Top 3 Dinners are:
1. Less-expensive meat cuts (chicken thighs, beef chuck, pork shoulder, etc.)
2. Cauliflower carb alternatives (rice, pizza crust, etc.)
3. Meal kits/Family meals
The Top 3 Appetizers and Sides are:
1. Charcuterie boards
2. Cauliflower
3. Elote
Top 3 Snacks are:
1. Elevated bar snacks
2. Bolder loaded fries (ghost pepper fries, hot honey fries, etc.) 3. Reduced-sugar snacks
Top 3 Desserts:
1. Alternative sweeteners (maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc.)
2. Revamped classics (moon pies, housemade oatmeal cream pies, deconstructed s’mores, etc.)
3. CBD desserts
The NRA offers more discussion of plant-based fare and its extension to beverages, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, and then the organization moves into a category called “Flavor Tourism.”
The presentation says, “Consumers crave foods that challenge their taste buds at a more sophisticated level than ever before, including new levels of hot, spicy, sweet, and savory. Whether it’s an Argentine choripan sandwich, or Jianbing, a Chinese breakfast crepe, consumers are ready to add stamps to their culinary passports.
Top 3 Condiments, sauces, spices and seasonings:
1. Sriracha variations
2. Ganjang (Korean soy sauce)
3. Guajillo chili sauce
And the Top 3 Global Trends:
1. Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Singaporean, Philippine, etc.)
2. Caribbean (Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, etc.)
3. South American (Argentinian, Brazilian, Chilean, etc.)
