During the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, food and beverage businesses were forced to adapt quickly or risk shutting down permanently. Many brands that lacked takeout services or online ordering systems had to implement them almost immediately to survive.
These rapid changes played a major role in shaping the post-pandemic food and beverage industry, where digital ordering and delivery have become essential for long-term success.
With the direct threat over, companies are now looking at the trends that will form the industry in 2023. People are shifting in their eating patterns as they get past the experience of the pandemic. The number of diners coming back to restaurants, bars and cafes is increasing, however, the expectations have changed.
Rise of Plant-Based Food and Sustainable Eating
Plant-based food is an emerging trend in the post-pandemic world. The issues of health, sustainability, and animal-welfare have prompted a number of individuals to explore vegan and vegetarian options. Therefore, plant-based foods are expanding the food brands provided by food companies.
Veganuary, a January-based vegan lifestyle promotion campaign, has been very popular. It challenges individuals to become vegans during a month following the holiday season. In 2022, over 620,000 residents of more than 220 countries took part in the movement.
Over the period, numerous international brands have introduced new products of plant-based products. In January 2023, Burger King launched a plant-based double cheeseburger made of bacon. Subway introduced a vegan steak teriyaki sandwich.
Such decisions are also motivated by environmental factors. Animal-food industry generates high volumes of CO 2 and methane. It is due to this that a large number of the consumers are shifting towards plant-based meals to ensure sustainability.
Home Cooking Trends Continue After the Pandemic
Lockdowns resulted in a high number of individuals cooking at home. The social media were filled with the pictures of homemade bread, desserts, and new recipes. Popular leisure activities included baking, fermentation and pickles.
Remote work remained popular among a number of professionals even after the restrictions were lifted. The additional leisure time allowed individuals to cook their own food and explore other dishes. Home cooking has been an effective trend.
This change increased the demand of the meal-kits and grocery delivery services. As an example, HelloFresh provides prepared-to-cook products to make it easier to cook at home. Supermarkets have now been competing with restaurants and take-aways in the consumer market.
Industry experts say retailers must continue inspiring customers to cook at home. According to data provided by Lumina Intelligence, grocery stores are in-store experience and meal-inspiration-oriented. Such strategies encourage buyers to purchase products and use new recipes.
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Ecommerce and Food Delivery Platforms Dominate
The current food and beverage industry is presently dependent on ecommerce. The restaurants that wish to remain competitive must collaborate with delivery platforms via the internet. Such apps as UberEATS and similar services are necessary to access customers.
Having the restaurant featured on major platforms is vital despite the restaurant having its own delivery. Customers will use the same app in which they can compare numerous options rather fast. Their decision can be often predetermined by that convenience.
There are fast, easy ordering habits of consumers in the modern world. Instead of visiting numerous websites, they wish to go through the list of the offered meals, choose one of them, and complete the order within several seconds. Companies that are not able to accomplish this expectation may lose customers.
According to research by the Centre for Retail Research, online sales will capture a significant share of emerging food service businesses in 2023. Such challenges as commission fees do not exclude delivery platforms as the best opportunity to reach the brand discovery and development.
