BUSINESS: The Growing Trend of Holiday Food Deliveries
With Christmas and a variety of other holidays just around the corner, consumers are feeling the stress of getting that perfect gift and cooking a great meal for all their holiday guests. In fact, studies have shown that consumer stress during the holidays is growing every single year. But lucky for consumers, the emergence of food delivery services have taken some of the holiday load off of their shoulder. They have even brought this trend into the holiday season, allowing restaurants to help complete some of their multi-course holiday meals. And it’s a fast-growing trend for our industry.
DID YOU KNOWS…
NFLer Fined for Shotgunning Beer
Baltimore Raven cornerback Marcus Peters has been fined $14,000 for “unsportsmanlike conduct” during the Ravens game against the Buffalo Bills. The incident in question spurred after Peters knocked down a pass, sealing victory and a playoff spot for the Ravens, and then jumped into the crowd and shotgunned a beer. Peters doesn’t seem to mind and Bud Light is using the fine as a marketing opportunity.
The Long Road to Gender Equality
Based on current trends, the global gender gap will not be closed for another 99.5 years. When looking at particular aspects of the gap, the biggest factor in the current disparity becomes clear. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) it will take 257 years to close the economic gender gap -- a disparity which is actually increasing due to: "Lack of progress in closing the Economic Participation and Opportunity gap." On the more positive side, at the current rate, the educational gap looks set to be almost completely diminished within 12 years.
America’s Top Resolutions for 2020
For 2020, Americans are making the resolution to adopt healthy habits – concerning their finances as well as their bodies. A survey by Ipsos for Urban Plates has found that out of all participants who said they were making one or several new year’s resolutions, 51% wanted to manage their finances better and an equal amount wanted to adopt healthier eating habits. More popular resolutions for the upcoming year also circled around improving one’s health, with a more active lifestyle and weight loss being favorite answers.
WHAT THE HECK IS EATER-TAINMENT?
Why it matters to you: The rise of multifaceted entertainment dining can’t be ignored.
The hybrid term eater-tainment is a perfect label for a hospitality concept that has exploded over the past 10 years. From the resurgence of Dave & Buster’s to insurgent concepts like Pinstripes and Punch Bowl Social, you can’t have a conversation about this weekend’s activities where some form of eater-tainament experience is on the table. Given that 78% of Millennials are more likely to spend their hard earned spare dollars on a trip or night out rather than material items, this rise shouldn’t surprise anyone. However, what might surprise you is that 75-80% of eater-tainment revenue comes from their menu. Yes, the games and activities attract the guests, but it’s the food that gets them to spend. What does this all mean to our industry in general?
Well, if you aren’t already a 50,000 square foot space, it’s unlikely you are converting to the eater-tainment paradigm. That being said, it doesn’t mean you can’t pull a page from their book. Whether it’s hosting an eSports night at your place or creating memorable experiences through programming, you can transform your place that at least delivers great experiences. For example, among the most popular activities these entertainment megaplexes are live events and movies. In fact, the games actually fall short in their popularity among visiting guests. Since you can easily host a live event or feature a movie, you can compete. Start slow and add a couple of inexpensive ideas and promote them. Test and repeat. You WILL find something that gives you a differentiation and technically, you will have created your own eater-tainment venue, right smack dab in the middle of your dining room.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]
SPEAKING OF EATER-TAINMENT…
Why it matters to you: Check out this VR-based restaurant experience and see dining transformed.
As we just concluded, your guests are just as interested in experiences as they are in the food you serve. Which is why it should come as no surprise that a couple of chefs have created a VR-led dining experience that may completely transform how we dine. From now until January 31st, you can visit the James Beard House in NYC and don VR headsets as you embark on an hour-long single bit tasting menu experience they are calling Aerobanquets.
Aerobanquets RMX is billed as "a virtual and augmented reality art and dining experience in seven bites"—the brainchild of Italian artist Mattia Casalegno with food courtesy of Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar, the duo behind the highly-lauded Indian restaurants Rahi and Adda (the latter a Food & Wine Best New Restaurant). Check out this video to get an idea of how all the magic happens.
With experiences increasingly expensive to come by, this VR-driven dining appointment might just be a future way that diners will consume both food and unique stimuli. If for no other reason than it sounds incredibly cool, it is worth taking note. Who knows, maybe one day your décor will be digital and your food augmented by the imagination of both chef and digital designer.
[Source: Food & Wine]
