Food Bowls: Inside the Latest Menu Trend
What are Food Bowls?
Menu trends come and go with the seasons. Restaurants often have to walk the line between staying true to their brand and hopping on the latest fad. Thankfully, when it comes to food trends, restaurants can often find ways to adapt their current menu to meet changing consumer needs. This summer, expect to see customers clamoring for food bowls.
There are different kinds you might include on the menu depending on what type of establishment you run. For example, healthy stores and breakfast diners may lean into acai and other fruit-based bowls. Satisfy their craving for a sweet and nutritious snack that hits the spot. Alternatively, heavier meals may rely on protein-based bowls instead: Burro, salad, and grain bowls are all more prevalent in QSR and full-service restaurants today. A base of chicken, beef, or other meats make these a delicious dinner choice.
Given that a lot of people have also hopped on the vegan and vegetarian trends, you might swap out these meat bases for an alternative. Tempeh, rice, beans, tofu, and vegetables all make good protein bases in a vegetarian bowl. Grain bowls are more popular too, with rice, quinoa, farro, and others making for a unique and delicious option. This summer, find out what your customers are looking for and draw in new guests with food bowls.
Why Do People Love Food Bowls?
The versatility of this trend gives it inherent value. No matter what kind of restaurant you run, no matter what you serve, you can create dishes that push sales higher. Incorporate food bowls into your marketing efforts and social media posts, and let customers know where to get their next meal.
Protip: Use pasta in food bowls to improve profit margin. It’s relatively cheap, fills people up, and you can mix and match it with more expensive ingredients to improve overall meal quality.
So what exactly makes food bowls so popular? Mostly, it’s a convenient way to get a good quality meal that’s deliverable to their door. Some foods won’t survive a trip home with takeout or delivery, but food bowls usually arrive in good quality. Even when the pandemic ends, customers will still value a full meal they can pick up and enjoy outside in the warm evening or back at home with friends.
Photo by Alexander Mils from Pexels
Should You Follow Trends?
A clear, unique brand matters because you have to set your restaurant apart. Nonetheless, keeping up with trends is just as important to customer engagement. Market new menu items that customers have been asking for, to appease long-time customers and draw in new guests at the same time. Broaden your base and improve retention simultaneously, when you get on board with what’s in fashion.
Food bowls are a particularly good trend for restaurants to adopt. They’re customizable, so guests can swap out the ingredients for something that suits their palate. That raises loyalty, too. As you’re putting more effort into customer retention and marketing, your restaurant needs a smart Point of Sale system to keep track of past orders and sales trends so you can keep delivering whatever they crave.
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