One of the hardships food franchise owners face is always having to compete for customers. They always need to adapt and adjust their strategies, or else they become irrelevant even if the demand for food increases. They need to stay on top of what makes their market tick.
This is an important part of choosing what kind of food business to build. If you’re looking for the ideal food franchise, sub sandwich franchise opportunities offer a quick return of investment and endless customer growth potential. Franchise or not, keeping up with these food trends is also a good idea:
Veganism
Perhaps the most popular food fad you need to pander to is veganism. Vegans across the globe urge establishments to offer more vegan-friendly choices to the point that restaurants now have a dedicated section on their menu for them.
The rise of veganism should signal the urgency to accommodate them. Shift to more sustainable choices in ingredients like meat, dairy, and even in your packaging. Incorporate more plant-based elements on your dishes, and make sure your menu explicitly reflects these healthier choices.
Food transparency
The popularity of veganism has also led to another trend: food transparency. More and more customers prefer restaurants that are open about the ingredients, along with how they have sourced these products, over those who don’t. So, provide customers with a glimpse of what goes into every dish. Does it have allergens? How much sugar is in the desert? Is the bread gluten-free? Just as food products are mandated to declare possible health hazards, food establishment should be more transparent about the ingredients and their corresponding health effects on their menus.
On-the-go eating
Another interesting trend your food business might want to consider is on-the-go foods. Food portability is a trend that’s gaining fame as fast as food transparency, and for a good reason, too. People now have less time to sit down and eat, so they look for portable, well-packaged snacks they can consume on the go.
Food kiosks serving easy-to-eat snacks are still quite the rage. Sandwich stops, hotdog stands, and even peanut vendors all thrive under this seemingly perpetual trend.
Weight watching
It’s one thing to seek out healthy foods and another to seek out weight-conscious foods. Don’t get it wrong — a steady group of people has always been conscious of what they eat and how much weight they might put on. However, more recent trends in weight-watching have compelled the same people to be more mindful of their macros or the minimum nutrient levels they have to meet every day.
Now, food establishments are expected to follow suit by offering lean, protein-rich dishes, or fat-blasting beverages.
Kid-friendly menu
The last trend that could drive food sales up is a kid-friendly menu. Families continue to be a major demographic for restaurants. That’s why it’s generally a good call for food places to have a menu dedicated to kids, or have food options catered to children’s liking. These are either new dishes that are either sweeter or saltier or smaller portions of adult-targeted foods.
It’s not imperative to follow these trends. There are food businesses that have stayed in the game because they can uniquely offer. However, simply knowing about these helps you make more informed decisions on how to bring your business forward.