FSR December 2022

taurants is becoming the so-called third place consumers f lock to (third after home and work). Humans are still social creatures and are still going to look for places to meet with friends and family, go on dates, and celebrate occasions, points out Datassen tial ’s Kostyo, especially with so many people working from home. “Full-service restaurants should wel come consumers back and remind them why they love eating out and connect ing. Creating cozy nooks, adding out door seating, introducing flexible seating for a wide range of party sizes, leaning into private dining rooms, will be key in 2023,” he says. Kostyo expects the growth of eater tainment venues—offering everything from golf to pickleball and darts—to continue and suggests all restaurants could even add a few simple board games to their front of house. ⓮ OVER-THE-TOP EXPERIENCES To attract dine-in business at a time when off-premises orders remain strong, restaurants must wow guests with expe riences they can’t get anywhere else, says The Culinary Edge’s Parlapiano. He points to brands like Cooper’s Hawk as an example. The wine-centric brand provides transportive experiences through interior design. “ The atmosphere is upsca le yet approachable and inviting. Rustic and refined elements are blended together to lend the space a modern artisanal win ery aesthetic. Oak aging barrels are used as part of the decor as well,” Parlapiano says. “Add in the fact they have tasting events, special event dinners, and more, [and] they give their guests many ways to engage with the brand.” He expects to see more tableside prep in fine dining—not just casual places mashing up guacamole. For example, Miller & Lux in San Francisco offers a tableside Caesar salad presentation in which servers cut various lettuces. “It’s all about giving guests something to talk about—things that are genuinely unique, things that get people talking,” Parlapiano adds.

TECH & INNOVATION ⓯ TURNKEY SOLUTIONS

If you ask Vigor’s Szala, the pandemic “slingshotted” restaurants into tech nology. He is already witnessing restaurants switch from using multiple plat forms—for their POS, menu management, employee scheduling, third-party delivery, loyalty programs, and so forth—to a single, versatile one. “We’ll see more acquisitions of tech platforms trying to grow quickly and expand their platform,” he says. “The bigger fish are going to be gobbling up the smaller ones and becoming whales.” And this could be a good thing. “As things get cleaner and more stream lined, there can be more attention on the internal patrons (employees) and external ones (customers). It removes some of the barriers and frustrations for the employees,” he says. “No one likes to fail and feel like they’re doing a bad job, but when you’re juggling lots of different tech, it increases the chance of messing up and frustrating employees.” ⓰ REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE After a long time spent in niche conversations only, the topic of regenerative agriculture is finally reaching the masses. Menu Matters’ Webster expects restaurants and consumers will begin to hear “rumblings” in 2023, though it won’t yet become a significant issue. Put simply, regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that’s kind to the soil, allowing for greater nutrient density in foods and more carbon capture from the environment, though the regenerative agriculture movement has focused mostly (thus far) on the climate benefits. However, Webster says, most consumers want to know what something will do for them personally, with Gen Z being a possible exception. “[They] have a much broader perspective about how their actions fit in with the greater world, and they want to effect change,” Webster says. ⓱ ALL ELECTRIC, ALL THE TIME Last March, one of Microsoft’s Seattle-area campuses opened a brand new din ing hall, One Esterra, which boasts 100 percent electric cooking equipment. The tech giant may be a little ahead of its time, but “electric equipment is some thing everyone is thinking about,” says Kittelson with Ricca Design Studios. Electric ovens, combi ovens, and fryers all work exceptionally well, he says, and there are other benefits: they’re more precise; they use less energy; and they have a lower carbon footprint than gas. It’s also cheaper to build a res taurant that only needs electric, rather than electric and gas, Kittelson adds. He expects to see more requests from clients for electric kitchens in 2023. ⓲ TECH TO THE RESCUE As of summer 2022, leisure and hospitality employment was still down 7.1 per cent frompre-pandemic levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “This is going to be a lingering issue well into 2023,” Datassential’s Kostyo says. In the short term, restaurants investing in technology that both eases the labor burden and makes the job easier for existing employees will be in a much better position, he says. Restaurants needn’t overhaul their operation or invest in multiple solu tions; it can be as easy as a technology that allows customers to pay at the table. “With high prices and a possible recession forecast for 2023, any cost savings from technology will also help restaurants reach profitability,” Kostyo adds.

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

DECEMBER 2022