The 2007 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, to be held May 19-22 at McCormick Place in Chicago, will set the stage for future food and menu trends, with exhibiting companies, educational sessions and pavilions introducing innovative new products and trends.
"Great food is the main reason restaurants are a big part of Americans' lifestyle, and our show delivers unparalleled opportunities for industry professionals to explore how to spice up their menus," said William C. Anton, FMP, convention chairman for the 2007 Show, and chairman and founder of Anton Airfood Inc. "More new products are launched at the Show than any other industry event, opening a window on the future of what the food trends of tomorrow might be."
According to a National Restaurant Association survey of more than 1,000 chefs, the hottest menu trends right now are bite-size desserts, flatbread and bottled water.
Restaurant operators continue to eye sweets as a way to increase foot traffic and boost check averages.
Unique offerings include popsicles in flavors such as pomegranate and blood orange, and floral flavors such as rose, lavender and hibiscus. (Even Baskin-Robbins cashed in on the floral trend, launching a Swiss Chocolate Treasure ice cream for Valentine's Day. The ice cream featured blueberry and lavender combined with milk and swiss chocolate ice creams with chocolate-filled lavender cups.)
"Dessert is a tough thing to cash in on because portion sizes are large and a lot of times people are too full to order dessert. But, a lot of restaurants are putting big (dessert) flavors on the menu," said Maria Caranfa, director of Mintel Menu Insights in Chicago. "With dessert, consumers aren't really worried about health. It's an indulgence."
Turning green into green
Additionally, organic and local produce, and a variety of ethnic cuisines rank high on the list, including Asian appetizers, Mediterranean, Latin American, Pan-Asian, Brazilian/Argentinean, Thai, sushi and Cuban cuisines.
The Show's Organics & Natural Pavilion and the International Cuisine Pavilion will provide attendees with the opportunity to sample several up-and-coming trends. In addition, the American Food Fair will feature national and regional cuisines unique to the United States.
Sustainable farming has been rated as one of the hottest movements in the restaurant industry by more than 1,100 American Culinary Federation chefs. The trend emphasizes organic and locally grown produce, whole-grain breads and grass-fed meat products, and eschews food treated with pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones.
"Sustainability and conservation are important and timely issues, and we hope our new initiative will inspire the restaurant industry to explore business solutions that are both eco-smart and business-smart," said former NRA president Steven C. Anderson when the initiative was introduced.
Also at the show, more than 20 free food-and-menu-related education sessions will offer attendees the chance to learn how to turn these latest trends into take-home solutions for their operations. These sessions will be part of 60+ overall sessions at the 2007 Show, and will take place in the South Hall, Level 4, and the Technology Pavilion, North Hall, Level 3.
For complete listings of exhibiting companies, specialty pavilions, Culinary Scene schedule and education sessions, visit the Show Web site.
