By Eleni Tsaloufis, Director of National Accounts
When Datassential’s Jack Li addressed national accounts at our last Innovations trade show, he made a point that stuck with me: “If we put the brakes on innovation, we lose the craveability that restaurants win at.”
“Craveability” isn’t only about flavor. Consumers increasingly crave a great restaurant experience. And what makes a great restaurant experience? Convenience, marketing, presentation, and, of course, trendy flavors—just to name a few.
Experience is all-encompassing, so innovation should be, too. That mindset was present at our most recent show. In a panel led by celebrity chef Jet Tila, national accounts discussed how they’re rethinking all areas of their business, from targeting new audiences to technology.
As we approach Innovations 2024, I wanted to share a couple takeaways from our panel that remain top-of-mind in foodservice as well as newer topics we’re sure to explore.
Learning From New Generations
They’re diverse, they’re plugged in, and they’re always seeking something new. For Generation Z, so much is at their fingertips, and that makes winning them over an overwhelming task. Our panelists had some tips to reach this audience:
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Chef Tim Gump, Dot Foods: According to his 19-year-old daughter, food “has to look good.” Restaurants that serve something as eye-catching as it is delicious may get free marketing from young patrons on social media.
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Becca McIntyre, Craveworthy Brands: Frequent limited-time offers and menu changes give her team room to experiment with playful items that entice younger generations. Using Dot for LTO planning and drop shipping keeps their supply chain nimble as they make rapid changes.
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David J. Stadtmiller, M Crowd Restaurant Group: New items inspired by global cuisines can help expand a chain’s reach to younger and more diverse audiences. He specifically called out experimenting with Indian, Latin, and Korean food.
What’s next? Generation Alpha, the successors of Gen Z, share similar values and cravings. Update kids’ menus with international ingredients and social media-worthy presentations to appeal to your youngest customers.
Value-Driven Technology
As restaurants increasingly take orders on kiosks or use robots to help prepare food, ignoring technology could put national accounts behind in quality and convenience. But with so many options out there, and so many of them expensive or unfamiliar, where do you begin? Our panel shared their approaches to investing in technology:
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Jet Tila: Approach technology holistically, from front of the house to back of the house to marketing.
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Becca McIntyre: Not all foodservice technology works for all operations. That’s why it’s important to evaluate options and measure results.
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Brian Goldberg, Mr Bing Foods: Technology doesn’t bring ROI if it isn’t used effectively. Invest both in solutions and training.
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Chef Tim Gump: Some things in foodservice are nonnegotiable. If technology enables accounts to maintain a high standard of food quality, safety, or labor, then it’s probably worth the investment.
What’s next? Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to grow—fast. Our industry should stay on the lookout for emerging AI solutions for forecasting, marketing, trend predictions, and more. Benj Cohen, Proton.ai founder, is speaking at Innovations to share how AI can drive sales.
New at Innovations 2024
As an industry, we win if we embrace innovation by exploring advancements in technology and keeping up with younger generations. At our trade show this April, I look forward to digging into innovative ideas with our national accounts.
That’s not all we’re digging into: Expect the best samples our trade show has ever offered at our new event! At Trend Explorer, participating exhibitors in partnership with Connections powered by CSSI will serve up a lunch of exciting trends inspired by Datassential. This is your time to try trend-forward samples while talking with exhibitors one-on-one.
Here’s what else you have to look forward to at Innovations 2024:
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New location: For the first time, we’ll be in Denver, a pedestrian-friendly city with an exciting culinary scene.
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New insights: Celebrity chefs Maneet Chauhan and Scott Conant will join Jet Tila for an exclusive conversation.
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New products: More than 380 exhibitors representing multiple product categories will share new items available through Dot.