Posted by Middleby Aug 8, 2022 1:00 PM

The Top Three Trends in Foodservice Design

The ability to pivot quickly has become key to staying afloat in today’s ever-changing foodservice landscape. With Covid, labor, and material shortages all delivering massive blows, many have had to rethink their approach to serving quality food. The following three trends are what foodservice consultants are seeing make the largest positive impact on commercial kitchens in today’s environment.

1. Labor Savings & Food Costs Solutions

Serving quality food in a cost-effective way is a challenge that has always impacted the restaurant business. Two ways to do so are to control food costs by reducing waste and implementing labor-saving solutions.

Controlling food costs can be achieved by being mindful of what’s purchased, purchasing foods that are locally grown, and monitoring food waste. Using hyperlocal produce not only allows restaurants to help reduce the carbon footprints of the food they’re serving, but also keep menus fresh with seasonal selections. Better yet, if restaurants choose to grow produce in-house, it’s always in season.

Food costs are also affected by food waste. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that between 30 to 40 percent of the food supply ends up as food waste. That translates into additional food costs for restaurants that need to replace food that has spoiled or isn’t consumed. One simple way to keep fresh food fresher for longer periods of time is with the Bluezone UV food preservation system. Easily installed inside walk-in coolers, Bluezone eliminates 99.9 percent of mold, bacteria, and ethylene gas to extend food’s shelf life.

Labor is another factor that has a high impact on a restaurant’s bottom line. And with job openings recently reaching a record high, labor shortages continue to impact foodservice businesses around the country. Using automation to its full advantage can assist with restaurant labor costs and serving customers quickly.

2. Automation

Having automation in place around a commercial kitchen can help many aspects of food production from start to finish. From prepping food to cooking to cleaning up, automation allows staff to work on additional tasks, like handling customer service and delivering food to tables. Even serving beverages can be partially automated to help control liquor costs and increase profits. There’s been a huge turn toward innovations that can help maximize labor, especially in operations like ghost kitchens, and we don’t expect to see this changing any time soon.

Even when it comes to takeout, touchless food pickup solutions can reduce the fears of takeout to an increase in delivery trends. Restaurants need to be up to date on how to make this type of service quick, risk-free, and profitable. To underscore this point, 60 percent of those surveyed order takeout each week, and 77 percent of diners still want contactless payment options.

3. Electrification & Ventless

The electrification of commercial kitchens is a hot trend coming to the forefront due to recent regulations. Thirteen percent of greenhouse gasses come from residential and commercial buildings. So switching from gas to electric equipment can help the environment and improve indoor air quality for staff.

Utilizing ventless equipment is also an upward trend in the foodservice industry. Providing the versatility to cook wherever there’s space and eliminating expensive ductwork and hoods make ventless equipment an attractive option for operators. Any menu, including frying and baking, can be executed with ventless appliances.