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Emotional Connections

A multi-ethnic group of friends enjoy tacos and chips at a Mexican food cart in downtown New York City, New York.  They laugh and talk while eating their food, having fun sharing life and culture.  One of them takes a picture of their food with his smartphone to share on his social networks.  Horizontal image.

After several years of ordering the comforting, well-known dishes that dominated trends during the pandemic, patrons are ready to experiment with exciting flavors. Innovation is back.

Today’s restaurant buying power lies largely in the hands of Gen Z, the largest, most culturally diverse, and digitally connected demographic, and these customers want to feel a relationship to the places they patronize. Creating authentic experiences for your diners encourages loyalty in the forms of return visits, word of mouth, and social media sharing.

  •  Post-pandemic get-togethers are more meaningful than ever. Go one step further by serving beautiful, craveable, intentional food and drinks that showcase your brand’s story and social stance, while instilling positive emotions. Help your customers feel invested in your success.
  • In this increasingly virtual world, food is one of the last visceral experiences, giving operators the opportunity to interact with customers on a deeper level. Bold flavors, strong visual presentations, and hyper-focused service contribute to Gen Z’s (and the maturing Gen Alpha’s) satisfaction.
  • Quality, price, and service are the baselines. Tailor the dining experience to create peak moments that will be remembered, whether it’s in-house or delivery.

Diners are increasingly hyper-focused on high-protein and plant-based foods. Alongside all of the new-fangled, lab-based, cell-cultured options out there is the humble bean. A staple food for millenia, beans are being re-examined as a healthy, versatile ingredient worthy of menu inclusion.

  • Retro and heirloom recipes—like Southern succotash, French cassoulet, and Cajun red beans and rice—fit the bill for those in search of authenticity.
  • Most world cuisines incorporate some type of bean in their classic dishes. Think feijoada in Brazil, black beans and rice with plantains in Puerto Rico, and garbanzo beans in Israel. Modern interpretations of these recipes are packed with produce and herbs.
  • The creamy texture of mung beans is proving an ideal substitute for those that are eliminating soy from their diets.