Catering industry trends for 2022

The year 2022 begins with new hope for a return to normal life with the restaurant sector in transformation. Restaurants have shown their resilience and, despite all difficulties, were able to adapt. Thus, with new ways of serving and changes in consumer behavior, the forecast for new trends in the sector is growing. Below, we present some of the main restaurant sector trends for 2022 that promise to change the world of dining.

Plant World 2.0

After the award-winning Eleven Madison Park stopped serving meat and fish, many followed the same path. In 2022, a "green turn" is expected with more establishments following the dietary change of some consumers.

Thus, vegetables and edible plants will be valued in the most prestigious kitchens in the world.

Photo by ELLA OLSSON on Pexels

Shortage of Human Resources

The return to the kitchen post-pandemic has brought up issues related to the mental health of teams. Therefore, greater attention to internal policies is necessary. A balance between personal and professional life is essential.

However, the shortage of human resources may hinder the recovery/creation of teams for this sector. Consequently, the sector will have to reinvent itself to attract labor.

Collaborate, share, strengthen

The trend will be sharing and collaboration, both internal and external. The new internal organization of restaurants allows chefs to share knowledge and experiences. As a result, we will have strengthened Portuguese gastronomy and better practices in its promotion at national and international events.

Fewer intermediaries from origin to plate

What used to be “the secret is the soul of the business” is now transparency.

The distance is getting closer, allowing restaurants to have greater knowledge about the products they serve. Restaurateurs can provide experiences based on traditional activities and commerce.

Today, the demand for restaurants arises from the appreciation of the products they promote.

Casual is the new black

Whether in the RESTAURANT, in the SERVICE or in consumption. A simplified experience reduces formality. This simplicity in Catering is transversal at all levels, in presentation, space, and the relationship with the Customer.

Sustainable Future

Professionals in the restaurant industry and other sectors are understanding that sustainability is not just a buzzword. However, it is a smart business choice.

Sustainability goes from packaging to the products placed on the table. Resistance to this trend can have negative consequences for the Planet and for business success. Therefore, working towards a green future is a growing trend that will leave behind those who oppose it and do not recognize being part of the problem.

Digitalization

Social networks ceased to be a space reserved only for influencers. In fact, professionals and cooking enthusiasts create gastronomic content. The trend will be to create an online presence to attract new Customers.

What, until now, was essential in the Restaurant sector, the face-to-face service, ceased to be so with the digital acceleration that occurred during the lockdown.

With this, many consumers saw digital as the convenient solution to order/pay for their meals. Thus, many restaurants were forced to adopt technologies to keep up with the market.

Photo by NORMA MORTENSON on Pexels

Virtual kitchens / Ghost kitchens

Due to the continuous growth of take-away, in 2022 spaces emerged that are intended solely to serve take-away meals. In this type of service, two new concepts then appear: virtual kitchens and ghost kitchens.

While on one hand virtual kitchens are characterized by a space that has a kitchen that develops meals exclusively for take-away, ghost kitchens are located inside restaurants, where there is an adaptation of the layout of the space to have a kitchen available to serve both customers who go to the restaurant and take-away customers.

Becoming a more common concept and operating under a series of pseudonyms – dark, cloud, ghost or virtual kitchens – these are kitchens built specifically to deliver food for take-away/ delivery. During the height of the pandemic, the emergence of ghost kitchens skyrocketed with restricted access to physical locations. Emerging restaurants took their services to dark kitchens to meet growing demand.

Dialogue between food and art

Cooking is the sublime art of preparing sensory experiences that go beyond the consumption of a meal. However, the relationship of this art with others is still a little explored field. The need to place people at the center of art finds in the restaurant the perfect stage for creating new social dialogues and interactions. Thus, cooks and the restaurant industry in general function as agents of interaction and artistic dissemination.

References

(January 5, 2022). Top ten foodservice trends for 2022 | KTCHNrebel. www.ktchnrebel.com. HTTPS://WWW.KTCHNREBEL.COM/TOP-TEN-FOODSERVICE-TRENDS/

(October 15, 2021). Edições do Gosto present the Restaurant Trends for 2022. Edições Do Gosto. https://egosto.pt/2021/10/15/edicoes-do-gosto-apresentam-as-tendencias-da-restauracao-para-2022/