Because of current economic concerns, 58% of consumers are more cautious about eating out and 44% will no longer make impulse visits to a restaurant. Restaurant owners will want to keep this in mind when making decisions for the year ahead.

Customers also consider the following elements important to an enjoyable restaurant experience: the use of premium ingredients, the use of fresh ingredients, and appealing flavours. Gen Zers and Millennials in particular pointed out the importance of the following: knowledgeable staff that pays attention to the fundamentals and good value with quick, high-quality service.

While we rely on technology in virtually every aspect of life, a vast percentage of customers (82%) prefer a physical menu. More than half of restaurant-goers find the QR code menus lessen their dining experience. This is something restaurant owners will want to take into account when finalizing their 2023 budget.

Canadian operators are looking for inspiration beyond the U.S. and Mexico. In particular, they are looking to food options from Central America and the South American Andean states. These are just three of the dishes with a southern flavour: quesadillas made with refried beans, cashew cheese, coconut crema, charred corn salsa, curtido, and sprouts, all served on flatbread; jerk cauliflower made from apple puree, wasakaka, and toasted coconut; and Honduran baleadas, flour tortillas with grilled flank steak or spiced sweet potato, scrambled eggs, refried beans, cotija cheese, avocado, and lime crema.

Persistent supply chain issues will inspire creativity and require flexibility in 2022. Almost a third of foodservice operators surveyed (29%) will raise menu prices by 5% or more over the next twelve months so exploring new ingredients or innovative menu pivots is key moving forward (Source: Restaurants Canada Q2 2021 Outlook Survey) Specifically, quirky preparations of familiar ingredients will allow for exciting menu additions without new SKUs—think pickled apples, candied garlic or salt-baked root veggies to impart new flavours and/or textures while, in some situations, even extending shelf life.

Inventiveness with favourite fare will also help operators stand out such as global sauces and ingredients on classic dishes and less-traditional cuts of meal that are more economical, chicken thigh vs chicken wing.  

The crisis may have prompted some chains to cut back on breakfast over the past year, but the daypart is poised for a big bounce back in 2022. With recovery scenarios on the horizon, consumers are settling into a less-disruptive reality, one in which some are fully homebased, while others head back to the workplace. And – crucially – kids are going back to school campuses. For many, sourcing a morning meal from a restaurant is once again a part of the routine.

Expect chains to employ subscription deals, multiperson bundles, product innovation and amped-up marketing to capture morning traffic and establish loyalty. We’ll also see the return of 24/7 breakfast offerings as well as new competition from casual dining in the form of morning-only virtual brands and later-day breakfast options.

Eggs are perfectly suited for a post-pandemic slot in the limelight – simple, universal, craveable, adaptable, suggestive of new beginnings. Eggs also create opportunity for punny concepts and quirky branding, bringing some fun back to the dining experience. 

Technology has allowed restaurants to adapt to new expectations for contact-free foodservice. Online ordering and delivery have become a necessity for many operators and continues to evolve. More chains are starting to explore automated systems in both the front- and back-of-house, like grab-and-go cubbies from Paramount Fine Foods, or the Spyce Robotic Kitchen, as a way to improve safety during the pandemic as well as alleviate some of the challenges caused by labour shortages. 

While many technologies remain cost-prohibitive to smaller operations, online ordering and menu solutions will continue to become more of an expectation for many consumers and are important to consider in strategic growth overall. We can expect further developments around mobile ordering, geofencing and other technologies; more tech-based self-delivery to help independents – especially – better control costs and quality.

So many restaurants made the pivot to takeout and delivery over the past year, and this will continue to help drive sales for restaurants while some customers remain unsure about indoor dining. More than half of consumers (52%) indicate they will still rely more heavily on off-premise services such as takeout and delivery in the foreseeable future. The number of consumers who indicated they would be avoiding restaurants for the foreseeable future also went up from 23% in March to 25% in May (Source:  Foodservice Digest for Canada September 2021).

Many restaurant operators are leaning into footprint innovation with more compact unit prototypes and delivery- or takeaway-only locations. While the threat of new variants and community spread remains a reality, ensuring there are menu items that are portable or more tailored for off-premise occasions will be key in keeping operations flexible as health and safety recommendations continue to shift.