Food Trends: Why Diners Are Dissing Chain Restaurants and Eating Up Everything New

In Henry Ford’s 1922 autobiography “My Life and Work” he famously remarked, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” In this comment, the pioneer of the assembly line was stating that mass producing the same product in large numbers was the secret to keeping prices low.

Problem is that, all things being equal, people like to have things that are made just for them. This explains modern man’s (and woman’s) penchant for customizing many of their possessions, from automobiles to mobile phones to make them special and unique to their owners.

It turns out that social trends like the desire for uniqueness is not confined to products, but encompasses experiences as well. Moreover, dining and food is emerging as yet another area in which people are looking to differentiate themselves.

A decade ago, one could be excused for thinking that the future of restaurants would forevermore be dominated by chains; those homogeneous collections of steakhouses, bars and grills, and mall-themed “ethnic” cuisines that offered consistency and predictability across the United States.

Luckily for us all, a rise of “connoisseurship” among diners is trumping the might of the chains so that we are now experiencing a renaissance of unique, quality cooking in American and beyond.

Thanks to a revolution in eating and food appreciation, gastronauts and other adventurous eaters – many who remain almost religiously on the lookout for the new and the extraordinary – are behind an ever growing culinary crusade.

Unique venues and menus are two of the biggest trends in restaurants. From cat cafes to Barbie-themed eateries, these odes to modern eating can increasingly be found in cities and towns worldwide. “Organic,” “local,” “small-batch” “artisanal” and other buzz words are making their ways to menus all over as consumers seek fresh products that have never been frozen, canned, or preserved.

Some places are taking this to the extreme, with attached greenhouses growing the kitchen’s produce. In the state of Wisconsin there is even a restaurant where live goats are being raised in a rooftop garden.

The restaurants that are prospering most are those catering to diners who are looking for never-seen-before experiences. Restaurants that serve great food in unusual surroundings offer a side of “braggability” as well. The restaurant business is famously fickle. But give your customer something to boast about and you have earned the badge of permanence.

via Business 2 Community http://ift.tt/1mpHFtt