Want to know what 2016 has in store for the food industry? Now you can thank Baum and Whiteman. The food consulting group has just released their annual rundown of the biggest food & beverage dining trends in restaurants and hotels for the year 2016.
The list contains a total of 11 different dishes, services, and food-related issues that the group believes will shape the industry in the coming 12 months. Here's a rundown of some of the key selections.
Topping the list was the subject of tech-driven food deliveries. Baum and Whiteman's analysis shows that 2016 will be the year when Silicon Valley starts bringing food to your doorstep.
We've already reported on developments in this sector such as Amazon's new farmer's market and grocery delivery service but B&L says that the likes of Uber, Google, Yelp, and GrubHub will all be jostling for space in this sector come next year. They write:
'Danger for restaurants: Suppose customers are craving barbecued ribs ... and sites like Amazon or Uber or Google gave them a dozen restaurants and gourmet shops near their zip code ... and suppose they included professional reviews of these producers, and suppose they ranked rib restaurants according to some mysterious algorithm that works against certain restaurants?
For dishes, the list says that the Fried Chicken Sandwich will be 2016's go-to. The thought of Fried Chicken being a 'trend' seems bizarre given its ubiquity on almost every menu; but B&L say that industry heavyweights like Shake Shack's Danny Meyer and Momofuku's David Chang are both attempting Chicken Sandwich concepts next year which could turn the item into a hot ticket.
Another noteworthy trend in the dining scene is the rise of modern Jewish cuisine. We recently reported on Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America list which named New Orleans based Israeli joint Shaya as 2015's best new entry. B&L have also picked up on this, predicting the cuisine to gain further popularity next year.
To see the full list check out this link.
