Soon, the 2012 trends forecasts will flood into magazines, e-newsletters and your inbox. Fare wanted to do something a little different. Instead of hypothesizing on the year to come, we’re going big, looking at the next 10, 20 years to come. If we’re at all correct, it’ll be a fun couple of decades.
2013
The foodservice spectrum continues to meet in the middle, as c-stores and QSRs aim higher and fine dining places the humblest of foods on pedestals. C-stores start hiring soccer moms as CEOs, and white tablecloths stop offering silverware--because everything’s served on a stick, of course.
2014
Just as fast-food joints dolled up because of fast-casual places, convenience stores start upgrading their food and merchandise to counter a challenge from tonier, higher-ticket newcomers. Their menus expand, shelves are stocked with more premium brands, and they add extras such as dry-cleaning drop-off and pharmacy services. The industry dubs it luxury convenience, or “lux-con.”
2015
Darn lux-con. The roller grill has been co-opted by trend-seeking entrepreneurs who have elevated it to a phenomenon à la food trucks. Traditional c-stores hold their ground and gain a strong following among purist foodies.
2016
“Convergence” becomes the new buzzword as food channels merge with a new vigor. QSRs add sundries, from toothpaste to quarts of milk, while restaurants and food stores blur into hybrids where the focus is on the food--packaged or plated.
2017
Stuffed crepes replace steamed calamari rings as the quick-service product of the moment. But there’s near-universal agreement that mushroom caps, driven by the marketing mega-bucks behind the McShroom, will make that next year’s craze.
2018
Despite their explosive growth, beef-jerky-only chains prove to be a fad when segment leader Chewy Louie’s goes, um, belly down.
2019
Family restaurant chains finally find a new groove by preparing their signature comfort foods with fresh, local ingredients. As one Denny’s competitor remarks, “We had the kitchens and storage space to do it all along. It just took the near-demise of the segment to make us try cooking at a level that today’s customers demand.”
2020
Dashboard dining takes on new meaning when car manufacturers outfit vehicles with eating surfaces à la airplane tray tables. It was just a matter of time, given that customers can now order meals via their vehicle’s navigation device. After picking up the meals from a special express drive-thru, drivers can either soak up the ambience of new scenic parking lots, or program the car to drive itself while they eat.
2021
Ten years after calorie counts, menu-labeling mandates have expanded. Taking a cue from its Center for Tobacco Products, FDA now requires that menus display graphic images of beer bellies and pizza guts. Hooters finds a loophole in the law, which allows it to post pictures of its servers balancing pitchers of beer on their well-toned abs.
2025
The supermarket as we know it is no more. Instead, online ordering has become the norm as retailers realize the bottom-line benefits of turning their stores into warehouses. Those who aren’t internet-inclined can still go to the store, where a small storefront lined with kiosks awaits their orders.
2030
Cupcakes are the new craze. Hey, it’s been 20 years.
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