2021 Will Be "Road To Recovery" For Foodservice Industry Say Reports

Three new whitepapers from Technomic predict 2021 foodservice trends for the US, Canada, and global markets. All three reports point to a clearer road to recovery. 

Technomic foresees strong to moderate growth—specifically in the U.S. and Canada—over the next 12 months, being led by aggressive strategies. One commonality across regions is the streamlining of menus. Restaurants are expected to focus on core menu items and, in some cases, revamp them as “new and improved” with higher-quality ingredients or launch safer LTOs with ingredients they already have on hand. In general, the focus is also shifting toward better-for-you, local and clean-label menu items. In the U.S. and Canada, greater emphasis on social justice issues can be expected of restaurants in 2021, meaning consumers will be looking for impactful efforts regarding fairness and inclusion—not just the use of hashtags and buzzwords.

U.S. highlights include:

-Investments in contactless technology for sanitation and ease of use

-Renewed interest in Italian, Mexican, and Chinese menu items due to travel restrictions

Canadian highlights include:

-Investments in off-premise for long-term growth strategies

-Comfort foods and homegrown, hyper-local solutions

Global highlights include:

-Growing popularity of plant-based proteins, requiring differentiation to stand out from competition

-Outdoor-friendly food and beverage developments to support active lifestyles and outside consumption