Restaurant Service Trends - investigating trends in service formats
Restaurant service trends have been gradually altering over the years in line with consumers’ changing use of restaurants. The overriding trend is that eating out has become increasingly informal over the years as the reasons for eating out extend beyond special occasions to include simple refueling, to escape from household chores and so on.
As venues have looked to tap into trends towards all-day dining, for example, there has been a noticeable blur between restaurant service formats, with the latest emerging concept being fast casual dining which is thought to meet demand for something that is more than fast food, but a more relaxed and faster service than traditional sit-down table service.
Restaurant service trends have been gradually altering over the years in line with consumers’ changing use of restaurants. The overriding trend is that eating out has become increasingly informal over the years as the reasons for eating out extend beyond special occasions to include simple refueling, to escape from household chores and so on.
As venues have looked to tap into trends towards all-day dining, for example, there has been a noticeable blur between restaurant service formats, with the latest emerging concept being fast casual dining which is thought to meet demand for something that is more than fast food, but a more relaxed and faster service than traditional sit-down table service.
Of course, other operational and legislative factors have also had an impact, such as the Licensing Act and growth of the coffee shop culture, which have prompted pubs to venture into non-traditional areas such as breakfast dining. Consequently, the lines between pub and restaurant, and fast food and casual restaurant continue to blur.
Main issues
What are the general societal changes, for example increasingly hectic lifestyles, that are impacting on the type of service formats consumers are looking for from the eating out market?
What are consumer perceptions of the various service formats as well as their demands of the overall eating out experience?
What are the emerging service formats in restaurant design?
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What are the general societal changes, for example increasingly hectic lifestyles, that are impacting on the type of service formats consumers are looking for from the eating out market?
