Everyone loves to eat out. The restaurant experience means no one has to do the dishes, everyone can have what they want and quality time is spent with family and friends. In addition, it provides an easy way for consumers to “experiment” with new foods and exotic taste experiences.
Restaurant menus often forecast the next trend of packaged prepared foods into the grocery market.
Restaurant goers became interested in interactive, exhibition cooking five years ago and, today, they still crave participating in their meals. “Many appetizers requiring assembly, such as fajitas and wraps, continue to gain popularity and you can now find them in mainstream America,” says Jackie Dulen, a consultant for Chicago-based Technomic Inc., a foodservice research and consulting firm. This trend is not limited to foodservice. For example, Oscar Mayer's Lunchables line falls into this category in that consumers assemble their own food.