The Hottest Restaurant Trends in 2017

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As we enter the warmer months of 2017, several trends are emerging in cuisine, beverage, technology and restaurants. Some of these trends are brand new and others have built on prior successes. It remains to be seen which will be a flash in the pan and which will have real staying power. Here are the ones to watch.

Cuisine

Locally sourced products continue to be strong, with some chefs even including produce from their own backyard farms. One such entry in this category is Brooklyn’s Olmstead where chef Greg Baxtrom raises everything from radishes to crawfish, right behind the restaurant.

Also strong players are alternative flours from grains such as spelt and buckwheat or nuts like almonds. This is both to address customer preferences and to experiment with flavors and textures. Alternative sugars are also on the rise including coconut sugar and maple or apple cider reductions.

Look also for homemade pickles, continued popularity of street food and food trucks and restaurants offering all-day breakfast.

Beverage

Bartenders take center stage as trendsetters heading out for a night in the town plan their evening around who’s behind the bar. Establishments with bartenders who craft cocktails with aplomb can easily charge upwards of ten dollars for a single artisan cocktail.

The resurgence of whiskey continues to hold strong, whether imported or barrel-aged in-house, but rum is trending up, particularly boutique brands. Cocktails containing bitters are still popular as are old-fashioned drinks like, well, the Old-Fashioned. Demand for craft beers shows no signs of slowing.

Restaurants

Where would we be without a few new restaurant concepts? The pop-up restaurant trend seems to have faded, but kitchens open to the dining room remain strong (Obviously a major task to change!). Décor is tending to reflect the style of its cuisine, such as tropical plants in fusion or Hawaiian-influenced restaurants.

Another rising trend is in-houseand even free-standing bakeries. Some of this rise can be attributed to the popularity of baking shows and Instagram accounts featuring delectable and highly photogenic treats. One example is the Bachour Bakery and Bistro in Miami, famous for both sweet and savory dishes.

Technology

Seemingly every month, week or day, a new piece of technology arrives that influences the hospitality and restaurant industries. When traveling, convenience doesn’t have to become an afterthought OTG Management attempts to maintain that convenience with reinventing the airport experience.

By integrating technology with numerous available tablets, implementing farm-to-terminal dining through partnerships with renowned chefs, and eliminating needless delays and lack of information, OTG wants to make traveling more enjoyable because that’s what it should be. No one wants to go on vacation or take a business trip and come back more tired than when they left.

Keep up with the latest trends with your restaurant recruiter!

The restaurant recruitment specialists at Horizon Hospitality can help you remain up-to-date on the latest industry and hiring trends. Contact us today to learn more or start your restaurant executive search.

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