What’s the outlook for 2024 in the restaurant scene? Predictions may not be an exact science, but trends point to where the tide is going. By trends, we mean those that have a reasonable basis to linger for the rest of 2024. We are not interested in those hyped by social media finding for a week or two. Here are the top food and restaurant trends and dining experience trends predicted to shape the restaurant industry this year.
The Surge of Solo Dining: Embracing Current Restaurant Trends
Restaurants are welcoming the solo diner market through their seating and spaces and good-for-one serving sizes. In this day and age of promoting individuality, independence, and self-care, solo dining is becoming a culturally accepted norm. Restaurants are finding ways to serve them with personalized menus for one and avoiding over-catering.
Plant-Based as Staples
Clean, farm-to-table whole foods are not going anywhere this year. It seems restaurants and food companies are now fully grasping the idea that they are here to stay and are no longer just a Hollywood-induced trend that will eventually lose its appeal.
Diners will still want salads with fresh ingredients and plant-based milk for their lattes.
Asian Flavors Ascending
Matcha, tofu, ube, sesame seeds, dashi, and other Asian ingredients will still be very much in the spotlight in 2024. Chicago-based Filipino restaurant Kasama gaining its Michelin star in 2023 is a testament to Asian flavors getting their place in the mainstream scene.
Japanese umami flavors and Vietnamese cuisine are also bringing in diners with a flair for unique Eastern flavors.
The Tamarind Touch
With McCormick announcing tamarind as its Flavor of the Year for 2024, expect this acidic, sweet-tangy fruit to make its way to restaurant dishes from savory soups to fusion desserts and drinks. This plump fruit, popular in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, is bound to feed foodies’ curiosity and add its unique layer of flavor to creative, globally appealing dishes.
A Sweet Spot for Sustainability: Riding the Wave of Current Restaurant Trends.
Mindful eating will continue to impact how restaurants source their ingredients, emphasizing sustainable sources, ethical animal raising, and earth-friendly supply chain practices.
Meal-Flavored Drinks
One of the most recent culinary innovations is the savory drinks. This trend is popular in cosmopolitan cities like New York, where restaurants serve cocktails mixed with savory seasonings – from MSG (yes, monosodium glutamate!) to chilies, peppers, and even fish sauce.
From fusion Martinis to mushroom cocktails, the possibilities are endless!
Digital Ordering
Contactless dining, made possible by apps and ordering system technologies, enables diners to dine without having to interact with humans. This trend, spurred by the pandemic, continues to offer its value of expedient dining process. The future of dining powered by cutting-edge technology is upon us and is here to stay.
From Restaurant Trends to Mainstays
Some of these culinary trends may fade away. However, the ever-evolving food landscape is now more open to a wider range of tastes and themes caused by cultural shifts. This means some will probably transition into mainstays in the restaurant space or even in our kitchens.
Experiential dining appeal is the key to their staying power in restaurants – a combination of food, space, emotions, influences, and a host of other factors coming together in one serving. So it’s not surprising if some of these restaurant trends are becoming a category of their own, potentially staying on beyond 2024.
