In the restaurant industry, just as in almost any line of business, being aware of – and adapting to – trends is essential to long-term survival. The problem is, however, that sometimes what look like “trends” instead turn out to be “fads.” Two recent dining-out innovations illustrate the problem restaurant people can have when trying to respond to trends – and finding out those trends are most likely just fads.
Back in 2018, the industry was abuzz with chatter about “plant-forward” foods. At the heart of it all was the work of two food industry start-ups, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, both of which had developed realistic meat substitutes made from vegetable protein.
Over the next year, many major fast-casual and quick-service chains rushed to put “impossible burgers” and similar items on their menus in the belief that such meat wannabes were a growth opportunity they couldn’t afford to ignore.
Today, however, those meat replacements are languishing, their manufacturers reporting lackluster sales and the restaurant chains themselves finding that meat-free burgers are a definite non-starter with most of their customers.
Barely 18 months ago, bitcoin-like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were being touted as the next big thing in funding restaurant ventures. Entrepreneurs and developers were selling NFT memberships in new restaurants and “nightlife experiences” while existing operators were promoting NFT-based loyalty programs.
To date, none of these NFT offers have fully delivered on the promises made, and some have never even gotten off the ground.
For now, at least, NFTs in the restaurant world are another “trend” that’s looking a lot like a fad.
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Side Dishes:
Late last month, IHOP introduced a new fall menu, and leading off this updated bill of fare are four new Belgian waffle entrees. Available all day, the waffle options include a Strawberry Cheesecake Belgian Waffle, an Oreo Cookie Crumble Belgian Waffle, a Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffles plate, and a Waffle Breakfast Combo.
New main dish selections this fall at IHOP include a slow-braised pot roast and a country fried steak entree. Tomato basil soup and two plant-forward alternatives, an Impossible steakburger and a side order of Impossible sausage patties, have also been introduced. The latter two items were created for IHOP by Redwood City, California-based Impossible Foods.
There are IHOP restaurants locally at the Five Town Plaza in Sixteen Acres and on Riverdale Street in West Springfield.
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Caffeine’s Midtown in West Springfield has announced new operating hours, effective immediately.
The restaurant will be serving dinner on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 10 p.m.
Starting Oct. 15, Sunday brunch will return, with service scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Caffeine’s Midtown invites guests to BYOB; the café charges a wine service fee of $5 per person.
The restaurant answers at 413-363-1202.
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Taco Bell’s new product team has developed a Vegan Nacho Sauce, which it is featuring as part of another limited-time-appearance by the chain’s now-familiar Nacho Fries.
The vegan sauce is served with the fries as a guest-selected option and both will be available as long as supplies last.
As part of a Taco Lover’s Pass promotion, Taco Bell has also introduced a Toasted Breakfast Taco. The tortilla fold-over is stuffed with scrambled eggs, a choice of sausage, bacon or crispy breakfast potatoes, and shredded cheese.
Company executives have suggested that the Toasted Breakfast Taco is part of a long-term effort to reposition Taco Bell as more than a “late-night” brand.
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On Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery in Hadley will be hosting an “Open Farm Saturday.”
During the “Open Farm” hours, there will be walking tours, several wagon rides, and a guided visit to the calf barn.
The Dairy Store and Bakery will convert its drive-thru to a “Mac & Cheese Window” for the duration of the event, offering homemade mac & cheese as well as beverages. The inside service counter will continue to serve the operation’s full sandwich menu, baked goods, and ice cream.
Live music by Old Country Road, a vintage country bluegrass group, will be part of the Open Farm fun.
Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery answers at 413-586-2142.
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The Rail Trail Ale House in Southwick will be holding their Oktoberfest 2023 on Oct. 14,starting at 1 p.m.
The festivities will include German music, food specials, and plenty of beer. Attendees are encouraged to get into the spirit of the occasion by showing up in costume.
The menu for the Rail Trail Ale House can be viewed online. For more details on Oktoberfest, call the Rail Trail Ale House at 413-998-0555.
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Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp. recently announced that, over the next decade. the chain will be phasing out its self-service drink stations.
In a statement released in early September, the company said it will eliminate the stations across the U.S., with the change expected to be complete by 2032.
According to McDonald’s, the rationale is “to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant.”
The change evidently reflects the extent to which customer traffic at McDonald’s has shifted away from dine-in to off-premises ordering channels, which now easily account for more than three-quarters of the chain’s total traffic.
The high levels of maintenance self-serve drink areas require is likely an additional motivation for the modification, as is the sharing of drinks and other beverage pilferage by customers.
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If you’re a fan of Alaskan king crab, you’ve probably noticed that the price of that delicacy has climbed to astronomic levels over the past several years. As a result, king crab legs have more or less disappeared from restaurant menus.
The cause of this price uptick is “tight supplies.” Like all wild-harvested seafood, king crab faces growing global demand and dwindling wild stocks. The crab population has declined so markedly in recent years that fishing for the species had to be cancelled for the most recent harvest season.
However, Nofima, a Norway-based research group, is currently researching how king crab might be raised in captivity, with the objective of eventually “farming” king crab along the Arctic coast of that Scandinavian country. To date those researchers are reporting good progress with their efforts.
Perhaps as a “farmed” species, king crab legs will be making a return to restaurant kitchens.
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The Hardwick Vineyard & Winery is holding another of its “wine-and” pairing sessions, this time matching “cake pops” with five of Hardwick’s wine varieties.
Led by wine educator Missa Capozzo, a Wine & Autumn Cake Pop Pairing will take place on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. Participants will be presented with a series of five cake pops by X&M Treats and tastes of five Hardwick wines. Capozzo will guide the tasting and use the experience to illustrate how food and wine can be successfully paired.
Tickets, which can be ordered on Eventbrite.com, are $49 plus a convenience fee.
Hardwick Vineyard & Winery answers at 413-967-7763.
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Though the leaves have just begun to fall, restaurants across the Pioneer Valley are already planning for the 2023 holiday season.
Some, like the Delaney House in Holyoke, have begun publicizing their Thanksgiving dinner menus, both a la carte and buffet, as well as opening their reservation books.
With demand for “dinner out” on Nov. 23 expected to be strong this year, mid-October is not too early to make plans and book a table, especially if you prefer an early afternoon seating, the peak time for holiday dining.
Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.
