As with any industry, the restaurant business is constantly evolving.  Those businesses that are willing to embrace change and capitalize on new trends are pulling ahead of the competition.  Trends come and go, and sometimes old trends make a comeback.  With the restaurant industry, healthy, clean products have become popular, however, there will always be room for indulgence when dining out. In competitive restaurant industry, it’s important to stay on top of the trends, but more importantly, carving out a niche market and launching your own fads will benefit company growth.

Clean Eating

Clean living is all the rage and has had a greater effect on restaurants than any other industry.  This trend has caused a change in menus and even supplier choices.  It’s not just calories that consumers are focusing on these days.  Many patrons have become more aware of chemicals and hormones that have been added to their food.  Organic and farm to table menu items have dramatically increased in popularity.  In order to stay competitive, restaurants have changed their menus and even created separate supplemental menus that offer healthier options.  This is a trend that is sure to stay and needs to be capitalized on if your restaurant wants to flourish into the future.

Delivery

While delivery has always been an important aspect of the restaurant industry, technology has caused an evolution to this all important service.  With the advent of mobile apps that allow you to place orders and customize dishes, delivery has become much more customer friendly.  Gone are the days of choosing a number on a menu or having to choose from pre-made specials.  With mobile apps allowing for increased personalization, those restaurants that refuse to embrace this new technology are suffering.  The small price to have a mobile app created and supported outweighs the loss of business to this demographic.

Vegetarian

The percentage of Americans adhering to a vegetarian or vegan diet has continued its upward trend.  Many people in the food industry have begun to capitalize on this and have come to realize the revenue potential of these types of food offerings.  Restaurants and specialty food markets have taken notice and are reaping the benefits of a more diverse vegetarian menu.  It has become almost expected that a restaurant will have a section dedicated to vegetarian dishes.

Tipping

There are many restaurants that are incorporating a no tipping policy for their servers.  This is having a widespread impact on the industry.  With governments passing higher living wage laws and in some cases abolishing tips, it’s something that many restaurant owners are going to have to deal with.  This is going to impact labor costs, which in turn will impact operational costs.  This means it will be necessary to increase menu prices, which could drive down business.  While it’s still in its early stages, it’s something owners are going to need to prepare for.

Authentic Overseas Cuisine

Now more than ever Americans are looking for old world favorites prepared or cooked the right way.  The variety of authentic options has increased dramatically over the last ten years but the demand continues to far exceed the supply.  With the dangers of a fast food heavy diet becoming more apparent, the desire to indulge is frequently being directed towards traditional cooking styles and tastes from all over the world.  Recipes that have been popular for hundreds of years have remained so for a reason.

New Old World Cuisine

Some of the most popular restaurant menu items are based on old world recipes that have been around for hundreds of years.  That trend is changing slightly with innovative chefs putting their own spin on traditional recipes.  While it’s always been common practice for chefs to make recipes their own, taking popular recipes and adding new world flavor has become one of the hottest trends in the restaurant industry today.

If you factor these trends into your business plan you can increase restaurant revenue.  Sterling Funding has been providing small business owners with merchant cash advances to stabilize and improve their companies for more than 10 years.  If you are in need of a cash to cover unexpected costs, or if you’re looking to make long overdue improvements, a merchant cash advance could be right for you.  With the ability to quickly qualify and get your money in a timely fashion, there is no more convenient option.  

Like more ideas on how to grow your restaurant business? Download our Free Restaurant Investment Guide below.