A Few COVID Foods Trends You Can Rely On

With new items seemingly appearing overnight, it's good to have a few trustworthy trends you can expect to drive business in 2021.

During the 2020 MUFSO conference, trend analyst Nancy Kruse gave out her bankable trends going into 2021. These include things like vegetables, nostalgic meals, and global flavors. Let's dive into each of these and see how they could benefit your restaurant.

Trustworthy Restaurant Trends

Vegetables

Veggies continue to get attention on menus nationally. 2019 saw vegetables get sincere center-of-the-plate attention, and now in 2021 they're getting all over the plate attention. Restaurants across the country are finding new and exciting ways to utilize vegetables.

Several pizza chains, like Donato's, Blaze, Jet's and California Pizza Kitchen have introduced cauliflower crusts. Dos Toros has released cauliflower rice as a base for their bowls. Even Taco Bell announced a return to serving potatoes on their menu, which can be substituted for any protein.

Driven by health and environmental concerns, there's no doubt vegetables will continue to drive menu innovation and consumer interest.

Global Flavors

Global flavors are continuing to pop up on menus universally. Domino's launched a Taco Pizza, while IHOP launched a line of poblano burritos and bowls.

Even restaurants that focus on American regional fares have jumped on board, evidenced by Zaxby's General Tso's Chicken.

There are no real rules about where global flavors need to live. They can be seasonings, specialty ingredients, or entire menu items. Sauces are an especially easy way to add global flair to existing menu items. Use them to dip, drizzle, or slather onto your customer's favorite menu items for safe experimentation they'll love.

Retro Meals

Let's face it, for better or worse, the 80's and 90's are back. Don't believe me? Just check out casual-dining chain Lazy Dog’s line of TV dinners. The Cheese Enchilada dinner. It comes with house-made chipotle ranchero sauce and cinnamon churro caramel cake, all housed in a compartmentalized tin container.

Chinese American cuisine is also making a comeback. We've already referenced Zaxby's General Tso's chicken, but don't be surprised to see items like kung pao, lemon chicken, and beef and broccoli return to mainstream menus. Only now, they'll feature cleaner ingredients and modern twists.

Where Do These Fit on Your Menu?

That's what you should be asking yourself. Act quick to be on top of these broad new trends. They're easy to execute and are bound to drive sales and interest. Don't forget, people still love to dip and dunk, so make