Foodservice and restaurant industry trends to watch in 2017

The restaurant industry is a growing business which keeps evolving and developing as per consumer preferences. There are a number of factors that will cause existing restaurant trends to change and restaurateurs to keep innovating. Here are some that we should keep an eye out for in 2017:
Food-Based Apps
Technology is evolving, people are becoming extremely tech savvy, and so the year 2017 is bound to see an increase in the use of table-reservation apps / food-based apps. Customers will be able to book tables in advance, restaurants will be able to keep efficient tabs on consumer demands – especially so on busy nights.
READ MORE: Individual Restaurant Apps: The next wave of revolution in foodservice industry
Multi-Cuisine
India is a growing market where consumer preferences keep evolving. Indians today are well-traveled, educated and savvy. They know their food and demand more than just one type of cuisine. They enjoy experimenting when it comes to food. Hence multi-cuisine is one big trend to watch out in the coming year.
READ MORE: What’s being served hot on the foodservice platter in 2017
Casual Dining
The restaurant industry in India is mainly driven by young population, which opts for casual dining even when they want to catch up with friends. Indian consumers are increasingly dining out, particularly in urban areas and urbanization, changing lifestyles and food preferences are giving impetus to the F&B industry. Customer trends are gradually moving from the fine dine to a more casual dining culture and the trend is expected to continue in the coming years.
Foodservice’s Latest Offering: Premium casual dining
QSR
Quick service restaurants (QSRs) are a mainstay of the Indian foodservice market. They have established themselves in major cities and are now expanding into smaller cities with smaller formats. To withstand the competition, most of the players are customizing their menu in terms of flavours, pricing and services to meet Indian consumers’ inclinations.
India’s booming QSR market: Domestic vs foreign brands
Malls Will be Preferred Locations
Existing restaurant brands and also new brands are now eyeing the shopping malls as their preferred locations to create family dining options. This especially since various research reports have indicated that even in times of financial distress people will continue to eat out and the F&B industry will be constantly growing. Factors like value for money, quality service and experimentation in cuisines have become the core competence for any restaurant in the industry. Considering the food revolution and consumer preferences and with the aim of expanding their business and tap more customers the restaurant brands do not want to leave the malls untouched.
ALSO READ: The future of food courts in shopping malls
Entrepreneur Entry in Industry
Passion doesn’t just drive entrepreneurs; it often leads them to their highest, best opportunities. With education and travel comes knowledge and understanding of food. The love for food and the curiosity to experiment will give the industry new entrepreneurs who are bound to bring with them, new concepts, themes, and chef-led innovations. 2017 will be ripe for home-grown successful entrepreneurs to invest their knowledge, expertise and experience in helping young businesses grow because this is what industry needs to keep evolving so that we can set the standards high.