In LA-based food writer and former restaurant editor of Caterer and Hotelkeeper, Kerstin Kühn's latest piece, she previews what to look out for in the coming year.
What’s Hot in 2015: dining trends for the year ahead
“I want what I want, when I want it” is what it’ll be all about for the US restaurant industry in 2015, as
millennials – or the “demand generation” – will drive most of the trends, a new report has predicted.
According to San Francisco-based hospitality consulting agency Andrew Freeman & Co’s eighth annual trend prediction report “The Pleasure Principle” will be the recurring theme of the year, indicating that guests want “instant gratification, education and participation” in their food-and-beverage experiences.
“The economic upturn in 2014, coupled with the desire to attract the millennial patron, has led to a surge of hip new concepts, personalised service and customised experiences geared towards satisfying this “demand” generation,” Freeman says. “Chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers are providing experiences that are less formal yet high in quality, more interactive and rooted in catering to the pleasure seeker.”
Among restaurant industry trends in general, Freeman expects to see more “chefs in residence” taking over spaces for a limited time. There’ll also be more “passion projects” from chefs who just want to do their own thing. Smaller cities, like Oakland in California, and San Antonio in Texas, will be getting national attention for innovative new dining concepts, while chefs will be getting more stylish as they’ll be wearing fashionable aprons in 2015.
As far as food and menu trends go, Freeman expects there to be a surge in high-end taco concepts, as well as restaurants spicing up their menus and soft serve making waves on dessert menus around the country.
Here’s a snapshot of Freeman’s trend predictions for 2015.
TOP FIVE RESTAURANT AND CHEF TRENDS
Chefs in residence
From Rene Redzepi moving Noma from Copenhagen to Tokyo, the Roca brothers taking El Celler
on a world tour and Heston Blumenthal transporting the Fat Duck Down Under, limited-run culinary residences are now de rigueur. “It might be a teaser to a full-blown concept or a quick trip to a new city, either way chefs aren’t afraid to take the show on the road.”
Apron Artistry
Chefs are turning to artisans to create durable and fashionable aprons to give personality to their chef’s whites. For instance, Los Angeles-based designers Hedley & Bennett are taking the food world by storm, dressing David Chang, Nobu Matsuhisa and Mario Batali, while the chefs at Spiaggia in Chicago are wearing aprons fashioned by Made in Carcere, an Italian company that collaborates with non-profits to produce handcrafted products with prison workers.
Rise of the small city
Forget New York City and Los Angeles—think Asheville, Oakland and San Antonio. What small cities lack in hustle and bustle,
