Food and beverage establishments have had to learn to adapt quickly to serve their patrons, which includes adopting technology and working with a smaller staff to keep up with demand. Check out these restaurant trends in 2023.

The hospitality industry has experienced severe hardship since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Three years later, the industry is still recovering from the long-term repercussions, and the struggle to recruit workers is something that most businesses can identify with. More operators are likely to turn to technology in 2023 to boost productivity and cut costs. Let’s take a look at the trends we saw in 2022 and the restaurant trends we expect to see in 2023.

Key Statistics from the Hospitality Industry in 2022

• Menu prices are increasing due to sharply higher food, labor, and fuel costs.
• 2 in 3 restaurants are understaffed.
• During The National Restaurant Association survey fielded between July 14 and August 5, 65% of operators said their restaurant does not have enough employees to support their existing customer demand.
• However, eating and drinking places added a net 60,000 jobs in September 2022 on a seasonally-adjusted basis, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

These results demonstrate that, despite ongoing obstacles with staffing, supply chain issues, and food pricing, the restaurant industry has had to adjust to survive, and that pre-pandemic numbers are gradually returning.

Let’s take a look at what we expect to see in 2023.

Food-Related Trends to Expect in 2023

On-Premise Dining On The Rise

Many consumers learned how to order food online and became more accustomed to 3rd party delivery convenience after the pandemic. In order for food establishments to draw consumers back in, they will have to offer “eatertainment.” Some restaurants offer entertaining activities like mini-putt, ping pong, ax throwing, pickleball, arcade games, and board games providing patrons with a wonderful dining experience. An enormous opportunity for businesses to draw customers exists at the nexus of food and entertainment.

Resurrecting Nostalgia

According to research cited in Whole Foods Market’s report on the Top 10 Food Trends for 2023, customers are becoming increasingly nostalgic and yearning for their favorite childhood foods. Popular foods like mac and cheese, pizza bites, cereals, and more are being reinvented with a healthy twist while still retaining their delicious flavors and serving as pleasant reminders to customers of their childhood indulgences. Retro food that combines novelty and nostalgia is a terrific throwback for guests and restaurant owners.

Technology Trends for Restaurants

Self-Service

Because of the labor shortage, many restaurants are turning to self-serve kiosks. Implementing novel and creative methods for customers to place orders, typically by an app at the table or a kiosk at the counter, can thus greatly lower the cost of employment and offer relief to operations that are affected by the labor shortage. 

Learn about Nuvioo’s CROS system

Self-serve walls offer fantastic advantages to visitors. Customers are free to approach the beverage wall whenever it suits them and pour as much or as little as they’d like. Similar to soda fountains, self-serve walls can apply to beer and wine as well. Self-pour systems not only spare your customers’ time by eliminating line waiting, but they also reduce product waste from 25% to as little as 3% and typically boost beverage sales by 45% or more!

Sustainability Trends in 2023

Minimizing Plastic Usage

In European nations where the government is increasingly harsher with the usage of plastic straws or cups, this practice has made significant headway. Although it will take more effort on the part of suppliers to provide these possibilities, the procurement and supply side of restaurants will be a great emphasis to limit the use of plastic. Although there are few alternatives to plastic products, restaurants can practice sustainability by using less paper. The environmental effect of restaurants is considerably reduced when thermal paper used for receipts and kitchen tickets is replaced with digitalized QR code ordering, receipts, menus, and a kitchen display system.

Sustainable Food

Increasing sustainability was one of the most prominent themes in recent years, and it will surely continue to grow throughout 2023. Because of this, recycling alone does not define your company as green.

Sustainability emphasizes minimizing waste in all facets of your company. If you have a robust sustainability strategy in place, you might want to let your customers know about it, especially if the majority of your clientele is made up of millennials, who are known to value going green.

You’ll decrease visitor sendbacks and produce less food waste by properly setting up a kitchen display system where customers make orders using their phones. The ROI of restaurants can be greatly increased while upholding sustainable food standards when operators have better visibility into their inventory and use smart food inventory management systems. Operators should be aware of what is required to produce dishes at the greatest pricing and quality in order to improve orders and purchases!

Beverage Trends in 2023

CBD-Based Drinks On The Rise

The non-psychoactive cannabis ingredient CBD is utilized in a variety of goods, including oils, lotions, and now drinks.  CBD beverages are being developed as a result of their extraordinary mental, cognitive, and physical health advantages. Cocktails that once contained alcohol can be recreated utilizing CBD 

Demand For Non-Alcoholic Options

Consumers in the millennial and Generation Z (Gen Z) generations are becoming more health conscious and practicing mindful drinking as a result. With the same flavors as many beers, wines, and cocktails but none of the negative health effects of alcohol, non- and low-ABV beverages have exploded on the market. This has encouraged customers to continue buying the beverages they prefer. In 2023, beverages with little to no alcohol will appeal to a wider demographic as a result of new drinking behaviors.

Shifting Trends

A lot has changed in the last few years for restaurants. Now more than ever food and beverage establishments have to adapt quickly to serve their patrons, which includes adapting technology and working with a smaller staff to keep up with demand. 

Nuvioo was specifically designed to help restaurants keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the food industry. They’ve developed a cloud-based contactless restaurant operating system to help restaurants manage the front and back of house, deliveries, marketing, and more. 

By Leslie Radford