Technomic names seven leading U.S. restaurant trends for 2012
Just as the nation's economic forecast includes mixed signals, restaurants across the U.S. face a varied landscape of expected trends in 2012. Technomic, a foodservice research and consulting firm, sees these seven developments making news in the coming year:
Consumers Seek a Twist on the Familiar: Shell-shocked consumers are in no mood to take risks, but novel flavors still tingle their taste buds. Look for comfort foods with a twist (gourmet, ethnic, artisan, wood-fired) as well as innovation in familiar formats (sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta) rather than breakout items taken from less-familiar global cuisines.