Magazine: Whose future is it, anyway?

What is the state of play in the world of restaurants today? Which trends influence the profession and what kind of changes can be expected? Well, it is absolutely certain that the most important factor which has an influence on the trends and performance of the sector is economic situation. People eat out less often than before the crisis and have higher expectations when they go to a restaurant. In 2011 restaurants, bars and cafés will have to convince consumers that they give value for their money. In the next couple of years several new restaurants will probably open because on the stagnating market it is relatively cheap to buy the right place for this.

Competition is fierce, so restaurants do all they can to increase the number of guests: fast food joints sell ‘gourmet’ burgers, pizza parlours sell pasta, fast casual restaurants try to adopt successful features of higher-category places, and chefs go back to simple base materials and classic dishes. Globalisation is also influential in the culinary world: the cuisines of different nations fertilise each other and those who like variety in their food will only have to go down to the corner to try ‘exotic’ dishes. More creative chefs will go down to the level regions and offer Sicilian food instead of Italian one – because the latter will become part of the mainstream, together with formerly exciting Chinese, Indian and Turkish cuisine. With the globalisation of the media, universal trends such as environmental protection, sustainability and healthy eating will become part of the public consciousness in Hungary as well.

Some restaurants will start using biologically degradable boxes instead of plastic ones for takeaway and start collecting waste selectively. The words ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ have been overused and consumers will become excited when they hear terms like ‘fresh’, ‘locally grown’ and ‘artisan’. Products from small farmers’ markets will remain popular despite the fact that their prices are usually higher than supermarket products’. People will be looking for food they can trust. Restaurants will offer home-baked bread and grow vegetables in their own gardens. Eating healthy will not only be about the harmful ingredients certain food products do not contain; it will also be about the extra value that makes the consumer healthier and nicer, e.g. Omega-3 fatty acid, antioxidants, probiotics. As for food trends in general, surprising, adventurous flavours will be in the centre of attention. Asian cuisines will stay in the forefront and creative dishes – made from unusual and cheap base materials – will become fashionable. Mini portions will follow small portions in high-level gastronomy, more restaurants will also put small-portion prices on the menu and many restaurant promotions will offer free meals or special courses for children. Restaurants will start cooking courses and provide other types of services too.