Andrew Freeman, whose Andrew Freeman &Co. of San Francisco consults on marketing for restaurants and hotels nationwide, detailed some top trends in a webinar Wednesday.
“If I had one trend — one trend — of the year that I could predict, that’s why it’s in the No. 1 position, this would be the trend for pie,"he said. "I think that we’re going to make room for pie shops in the next year.”
Other trends noted by Freeman included:
- The new mom and pop. Self-financed restaurants built on limited budgets are growing in number.
- One-ingredient restaurants. Restaurateurs are taking one ingredient and building full restaurants around them
- Mini plates. “Small plates were the big buzz word over the last couple of years
- Multi-purpose spaces. Eataly in New York is an example. “We are going to see markets opening in the corners of restaurants,” he said.
- Fried vegetables. Once-obscure vegetables are getting the crisp treatment with such items as fried Brussels sprouts, fried cauliflower and turnip chips.
Other trends mentioned described in the publication:
- Minimal menus.
- Dirt. (Abandoning sauces)
- Hearth-healthy.
- Hot dogs and sausage shops.
- Vegetables.
- Soft-serve.
- High-end junk food.
- Popsicles.
- Yogurt.
- Swede inspiration.
- Breads.
- Bellies.
As far as popular ingredients go, Freeman suggests more influence by:
- Neck. Lamb, beef, goat and pork neck.
- Whey. In salads and sauces.
- Kumquats. In salads, relishes and desserts.
- Pimento cheese. Smooth, spreadable, spicy and nostalgic.
- Smoking. Smoked olive oil, cumin and butter.
- Hay. Used for roasting and smoking.
- Hummus. In sauces, spreads and ingredients.
- Popcorn. In various courses, such as the popcorn ice cream
- Pretzels. Pretzel sticks and used as a crust.
- Honey. Chefs are developing partnerships with local beekeepers for use in sauces and dressings.
