Technologies to take advantage of the changing US F&B market
GWI research of US food trends has shown that changes seen during the pandemic have become settled. As with many aspects of American life, meal behavior has altered with an increase in the prominence of plant-based foods, and the growing importance of body positivity.
As we emerge from the pandemic these trends will retain a place in our return to “normal”, whatever that may look like, but it also allows us to take advantage of these new American tastes.
Different food for different ages
Tastes differ across the generations, and with gyms becoming less accessible, the focus has shifted from calorie burning to calorific intake. Whilst younger people have remained quite active throughout the pandemic, many of the older generations have not.
It is the millennials and Gen Zs who have been more physically active, so this food consciousness may be linked to aesthetics and body perceptions, especially in our beauty-obsessed culture. In contrast, older consumers have more targeted health goals in mind for their nutrition. Gen X and baby boomers see their food choices as part of their bodily health regime, and therefore more likely to make attempts to control/reduce their weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
This does not mean that the owners of restaurants must restructure their business just to suit the specific age of their visitors, however, they will need to offer a wider range of dishes. Of course, this quantity of dishes can confuse your staff, but technology is now available that will help your staff to remember the specific requirements of each guest.
TNG Go! is the latest Food & Beverage add-on that can be fully integrated with Oracle MICROS Simphony. Designed as an Android or iOS app, with a focus on restaurant staff, TNG Go! puts check opening, ordering, and re-orders, as well as special requests from guests on the menu, into the hands of server while they are on the floor and engaging with guests.
To be organic
Americans also became more concerned about the natural, organic, and locally sourced characteristics that, to them, spoke about the quality of the product. Plant-based foods and sustainability have increasingly become more desirable.
Alongside the increased availability of plant-based protein in grocery stores and on restaurant menus, customers have grown more amenable to either reducing or eliminating meat from their diets. The pandemic gave consumers a stark demonstration of how food reached our grocery stores, giving those who were trying to eat healthily even more concerns about the environmental footprint of their daily meals. This is a good reason for restaurants to include more organic dishes in their menu. From our side, we guarantee that every ingredient requested by your customer will appear on the kitchen screen from the server’s device.
More mobile orders
The food industry has highlighted the fact that 59% of restaurant orders from millennials are either in the form of takeout or delivery. This trend will continue and rise, and the current crisis will probably accelerate this process even further.
Restaurant owners must be sure that their POS can be integrated with either third-party systems or client devices, and Simphony Cloud gives you far more opportunities to do this. This can be in the form of a mobile phone, tablet, electronic menu, or even kiosks. The system can meet all the requirements of restaurant owners and their guests.
Customers must be able to order and pay in the way that best suits their needs. By digitizing the traditional shopping experience and making self-service more accessible, friction can be either reduced or eliminated. For example, restaurants that allow their customers to order on their mobile device get increased visits, more purchases, and a higher-order value. Therefore, restaurants need to digitize their channels and be ready to meet their customers via this environment.
Author: Adrian Kruse
Product Manager Simphony, HRS North America
