How-To
Restaurant staff turnover rates, currently at a staggering 73%, are wreaking havoc in the U. S. foodservice industry and major headaches for restaurant owners in all sectors of the biz. Not only is finding qualified managerial, dining room, and kitchen staff an ongoing challenge, but with the dizzyingly high employee drop-out rate, businesses are losing precious time and money in training and re-hiring.
If you work in the U.S. pizza industry, are thinking of globally expanding your pizza operation, or are opening a pizzeria for the first time, you will be happy to learn that the forecast is shining brightly for the future success of the pizza business.
If you work in the restaurant or catering business, you’ve already heard the buzz about trending fruit powders and vegetable powders and how manufacturers are adding them to products to cater to a health-conscious public. Likewise, a growing number of chefs have become aware of the practical advantages of using dehydrated vs. fresh produce and are adding them to recipes to meet demands from consumers hungry for more nutritious and natural foods and drinks.
If Zero-Waste Cooking is not on your menu, it’s time to step up to the plate and bring your business’s fighting-food-waste program up to date. One of several new strategies to combat the ongoing issue of food wastage in the foodservice industry, this one ranks number three on the National Restaurant Association’s annual “What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.”
Specialty grains and alternative flours are in demand! The new food trends reflect growing consumer calls for plant-based ingredients, gluten-free alternatives to flour, and an increasing appetite for ancient grains that are not only packed with nutrients but packed with flavors and textures that breathe new life into traditional recipes and dishes.
What popular food trends are taking prominence on restaurant menus this year? Food industry specialists predict the proliferation of spices and flavors from around the world. Let’s take a closer look at what they have to say, including the specific ethnic cuisines taking center stage, why the modern surge in global flavor exploration, and what chefs need to know about ingredient selection and cooking methods for preparing an authentic ethnic dish.
In our recent article, “Restaurant Robotics Are Here to Stay,” we talked about the dawn of the robot age and whether robots entering the food industry meant that people (waiters, chefs, bartenders) were on their way out. We concluded that only time would tell but urged restaurant owners to continue to follow automation trends while acknowledging that the human element was unlikely to be eliminated altogether.