The government earlier this month released their jobs report. Restaurants and bars led all U.S. economic sectors in job creation in January with the addition of close to 100,000 positions. There was also an upswing by hotels in hiring with close to 15,000 jobs added. 

Restaurants and bars employed a total of 12.2 million workers which compares with 12.3 million in February 2022, when the pandemic led to widespread layoffs. An encouraging fact is that restaurants outstripped such traditional competitors for recruits as retailing and healthcare in January. Bottom line: Dining at restaurants is back and once again part of everyday life. 

In my article this month, I highlight additional trends and predictions for 2023.

For foodies, dining at a Michelin star restaurant is true Nirvana. The Michelin Guide began in France as a humble travel guide way back in 1900. It was created by the Michelin tire company as a promotional freebie to encourage drivers to take more road trips, and therefore burn more rubber. The “little red book,” as it is affectionately called, contained a wealth of information including maps and locations of gas stations, as well as restaurants, hotels and other attractions. As the tire company grew, so did their guide, and by the 1920s they began charging for the booklet. In 1926, the guide changed to focus on what it is now best known for – fine dining – with a team of mystery diners, known as “inspectors,” visiting and reviewing restaurants in France. This simple marketing tactic has led to the fine dining bible and rating system we know today. They survey their Michelin star chefs and recently came out with five restaurant trends for 2023.

1. “Cross -border, cross cultural collaborations return in force.”  The Michelin chefs surveyed believe the restaurant industry is becoming more global and highly “sociable.” The three-year hiatus we all had during COVID has created a greater appetite for “human connection.” Now that travel restrictions are being relaxed across the world, we will see more cross-cultural cuisines featured in high end restaurants. Food truly brings people together and do not be surprised to see more fusion dishes such as Thai-Spanish Tapas and Japanese-Italian cuisines.
2. “Restaurants turning to tech to tackle the global restaurant staff shortage.” I chat regularly with restaurateurs, and they say the staffing challenge brought on by COVID is lessening but still a major issue. The concern is that more people are returning to their restaurants (in some cases numbers are even higher than pre-COVID) which requires hiring more staff. Michelin believes the industry must do more to attract employees and promote the positives of working in a restaurant. Watch for more small restaurants, more technology and more casual operations that require less labor and shorter menus,  ore “QR code” menus, cloud kitchens and delivery apps. I will write more about these in future. Many of these are readily accepted by digital Gen Z and millennials.   
3. “Back-to-basics cooking and classics will make a comeback.” Michelin chefs believe that faced with increasing uncertainty, more diners will go back to basics and “value local experiences” with increased interest in people’s traditional cultural cuisines.
4. “Menus will become more inclusive.” COVID forced us all to place more emphasis on our health and to reevaluate our dining choices in adopting a healthier lifestyle. Restaurants, because of COVID, adopted new sanitation and health practices, and customers are doing the same in their home kitchens.  Plant-based options in fast food chains are gaining traction for diners. Some high-end restaurants are seeing 10% to 20% of their clientele preferring vegetarian and vegan options. More guests are choosing to opt out of drinking alcoholic beverages, forcing their establishments to offer more non-alcoholic and creative options. 
5. “Sustainability becomes a necessity.” Sustainability will no longer be a trend. Supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressure on food costs put more emphasis on responsible sourcing of ingredients from sustainable sources. There are new connections between chefs, farmers, fishermen and food producers. Chefs are being questioned more by their guests on exactly what the ingredients are and where they come from. Chefs are finding new ways to minimize food waste by using all parts of the ingredients.   
6. In all the reports that I read, there is consensus that the pandemic reminded us how important restaurants are. Dining is all about being together with people, supporting them and being supported by them. When we want to celebrate, whether with a loved one, a group of co-workers or even alone at a counter, we will continue to go to restaurants.   

P.S.  When you do dine out, remember to tip generously!   

About

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.