Customers may beeline to your bar to quench their thirst for your signature cocktails, beer, and wine. However, a small food menu can add heft to your profits when it is developed with intention and inventiveness.
Although Indian, Korean, and other Asian cuisines and hybrids are still going strong, that desire for something new—even if it springs from something old—may be what propels the next trend. Datassential’s 2024 report on snacking menus reveals that the trend to watch this year is “New European,” which goes beyond “a fresh spin on” what’s familiar to customers. The growing popularity of plant-based options, meanwhile, is also making life more interesting for operators and customers alike.
“New generations of Italian, Greek, and French operators have pushed this category of foods to the forefront, with many showcasing traditional European cuisines with modern twists,” says Renee Lee Wege, Datassential Trendologist and Senior Publications Manager. “Some examples include plant-based French dishes such as carrot tartare, ‘modern Greek’ showcasing regional dishes and ingredients, and Italian mashups such as ‘Wafu’ cuisine, which combines Japanese and Italian—think Cacio e Pepe Gyoza. Since many of these cuisines are already familiar with consumers, they can be an interesting way for bars and restaurants to showcase newer ingredients in familiar formats.”
Fries, nachos, and sliders aren’t going away, but customers across all generations (boomers, gen x, millennials, and gen Z) are becoming just as adventurous with what accompanies the drinks as they are with the drinks themselves. Just as they demand cocktails or zero-proof drinks be made with higher-end ingredients, they want the food they order to follow suit.
“While health is certainly important and top-of-mind to consumers, there’s plenty of room to have both on the menu,” concedes Wege. “According to our 2024 Annual Trends Report, 69% of consumers say they eat an indulgent food-related treat at least once a week, with gen Z being most likely to indulge weekly at 76%. But indulgence doesn’t automatically mean health is thrown out of the window. Maybe it’s a plant-based burger patty made out of vegetables but (is topped with) a truffle aioli that’s rich and decadent and crispy fried onions that add flavor and textural contrast.”
The first goal of any restaurant or bar is to get customers into the space. “The one bar bite needs to be a firecracker to persuade them to order more,” says Angelo Sosa, Executive Chef of Kembara and Tía Carmen in Phoenix. “In creating all restaurants, all touchpoints have intention. Beverages all need to intertwine and co-mingle with the food.”
Around the World and Back
“In 2024, the culinary world is seeing a surge in popularity for ethnic cuisines that offer fresh, natural ingredients and bold flavors,” says Angelos Petropulos, Executive Chef & Co-Owner of Kosmos in Walpole, MA.
The menus for Kosmos’ bar are designed to be diverse and inclusive. By balancing tradition and innovation, the kitchen is able to cater to the tastes and preferences of its entire clientele, which constitutes all age groups. Seasonality also helps his kitchen team stretch its options as staple dishes can readily be updated with what is currently being harvested.
“Greek cuisine, with its focus on olive oil, fresh herbs, grains, and seafood, is particularly trending due to its association with the healthy Mediterranean diet,” Petropulos explains. “Additionally, we’re finding that Vietnamese, Caribbean, and Eastern European foods are gaining traction. These cuisines are celebrated for their unique spice blends, traditional cooking methods, and use of local, sustainable ingredients. This reflects a broader consumer shift towards health-conscious eating, authenticity in culinary experiences, and a desire to explore diverse cultural flavors and cooking techniques.”
Although Phoenix is known for its multitude of Mexican and Latin American venues, Sosa observes Middle Eastern food is increasingly popular in the desert southwest as the vibrant and fresh flavors of produce are especially appealing to diners whose food choices are increasingly based on their health concerns. Whether this is a hummus variation—such as edamame hummus or red pepper hummus—or a fresh tabbouleh, guests are more inclined to try fresh new flavors when they see these items on a menu.
Stuart Dove, Executive Chef of Morada Bay in the Florida Keys, adds that Indian and Middle Eastern spices, as well as flavor profiles with floral and savory contrasts, or blends of sweet, salty, and spicy are all trending flavor profiles at the moment. “People are looking for contrast and depth of flavor in their cuisine,” he says.
“I think the American consumer is becoming more adventurous and seeking out new experiences,” says Mike Herchuck, Director of Operations at American Social, a bar group with multiple locations around Florida. He finds that Latin flavors kicked off this shift towards more international flavors and experimentation.
“We’re seeing a lot of Asian and Indian flavors continuing to grow with creative new ingredients, and introducing them into some familiar dishes," said Herchuck. "This can be as simple as adding seasoning and sauces to wings or burgers or ethnic-inspired dishes like traditional hummus, loaded guac, and an ancho-style chicken quesadilla. Americans are trending to healthier offerings, and nachos are something people just don’t ask for anymore. Even with different culinary trends that we have experimented with, however, through this evolution we found that guests still go for simplicity—a basic cheeseburger with a signature sauce and wings with classic Buffalo sauce.”
The Skinny on Healthier Fare
Although healthier options, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are finding their way onto bar menus, what’s healthy is in the eye of the beholder and the individual customer.
Dove stresses that customers are smarter about what makes something healthy, expressing that what’s not in an ingredient is just as important as what’s in it. However, portion control and balancing out the effects of the liquor are equally important considerations. “There is less interest in processed, plant-based meats,” he continues. “That said, our bar guests tend to lean towards fried foods, especially while drinking alcohol, and sometimes there is nothing better than a plate of truffle cheese fries. They are leaning more towards smaller portions, and if they do want a larger or heavier dish, it’s almost always shared between several people. Diners are more aware of excessive food waste than ever before.”
Petropulos finds that at his bar, staple items like fries, nachos, and sliders are still popular but are still evolving to meet changing customer tastes. Classic fries are often replaced with sweet potato or zucchini varieties, nachos are getting an Asian twist with unique toppings, and sliders are now featuring plant-based options like portobello mushrooms, catering to a health-conscious and adventurous clientele.
At American Social, fried goat cheese balls are a top seller. This reflects that although customers gravitate toward fried items, if the ingredients have a healthier perception (in this case, fried goat cheese replacing fried mozzarella) customers will seek them out. Also, fried orders are smaller, ensuring a guest can have a treat without feeling like they overdid it.
Sosa, meanwhile, observes that while those “staple” items won’t leave menus in a lot of classic gastropub institutions, innovation always excites people. This can take the form of swapping out traditional bread buns with lettuces, baos, tomatoes, yams, etc. “More than ever, diners are into understanding wellness and being conscious of what goes into their bodies and the colors they absorb,” he says. “As chefs, we are creators. When we are inspired by changes and find the best results in inspiration are when ingredients are in season. There is a universal conversation where people are talking about the well-being of the planet. Portion sizes need to be appropriate and thoughtful [to stave off] copious amounts of waste.”
Pair and Share
While seasonality and interactive approaches to preparation are common threads that run through the venues featured in this article, the strategic way in which each one handles food and beverage pairing varies. Florida-based chef Dove says that rather than focusing on pairing foods to drinks, the team prefers drinks to food.
“Sour cocktails, for example, are a perfect pair for menu items that are spicy and raw like crudos and cervices with fresh fruit,” he says. “Our local beers pair with anything fried and cheesy, and our wines can elevate our more elegant fish and meat dishes.”
At Kosmos, Petropulos carefully selects snacks on the menu to complement specific drinks, with a particular focus on wine pairing. “We strive to create perfect matches between our dishes and a glass of wine, enhancing the dining experience with flavors that beautifully blend and elevate each other,” he says, adding that, “Portion size plays into the social, communal aspect of dining, especially given our Greek theme. Our customers gravitate towards the meze options, small, tapas-sized portions perfect for sharing. This allows them to sample a variety of flavors and dishes, making meals a shared, interactive experience.”
Herchuck says that three to four times a year, American Social’s locations will roll out a new set of limited-time offerings that incorporate seasonal flavors to explore different styles and trends. From there, the cocktails are paired with those dishes to create a well-rounded experience. “Our brand is about creating interactive social experiences around food and beverage, and we encourage sharing,” he says. “We looked at our side dishes and challenged the chef to come up with items that if a party ordered them all together, it would be a fun social experience and these items could stand alone and not be considered a side dish. We even titled the menu section ‘Shareable Sides.’”
At the The Distillarium in Yakima, Washington, the management pointed out that when the cocktail menu is changed seasonally, the kitchen menu also has to change. However, the portion sizes of nachos, charcuterie boards, and other popular standbys are designed for sharing and remain large. As the newest kitchen menu features its distilled spirits in almost every recipe, the bar elects to infuse drinks rather than pair.
By The Numbers
Among The Distillarium clientele, the food trends stem from the millennial and older generations, with people in the age range of 40-60 wanting more entree options rather than just finger food.
At American Social, on the other hand, Herchuck finds that gen Z and millennials are steering what’s happening in the kitchen. “Everything on our menu, including our eight entrees, can be shared and we encourage that, which is millennial leaning,” he says. “But we also focus on using ethnic and creative flavors and ingredients, which is gen Z leaning."
In the Desert Southwest, meanwhile, Sosa observes all generations are looking towards the sourcing of ingredients as well as a compelling story behind a dish as food should create a memory or transport the customer to a past one.
Are you registered for our Crave and Crave on the Menu newsletters? Sign up today!
Plan to Attend or Participate in the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 18-20, 2024
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo 2024 in Las Vegas.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello (for companies A to G) e: [email protected] p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz (for companies H to Q) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh (for companies R to Z) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.