Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I love surprises—especially when they are of the culinary sort. When Prepared Foods asked me to write about future food trends, it led me to think about all the change our food and beverage industry has endured during the past few years. I also am thinking how we’ve adapted so quickly, and with such extraordinary ingenuity. I started to reflect on what surprised me the most and what sort of change we can expect in the future.
Higher food costs, a challenging labor market and supply chain woes are very difficult to manage through, yet as a result, we are seeing more thoughtful, curated menus. We’re seeing the development of “future-proofed” restaurants, with flexible menus and design attributes that can serve a variety of offerings at different price points any time of day. Perhaps the willingness to pay more for goods could finally help the industry address fair labor wages.