"We believe in treating our customers like part of the family," manager Dean Friesz said during Friday's grand opening of a new Ernie's location on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City. "That's why Ernie's offers, free with every Old-Fashioned Super-Duper Ernie's Entree, accusations, belittlement, and other barely disguised expressions of bitterness, despair and sour regret that typify American family interaction. (via: The Onion)*Where would society be without The Onion?
Welcome to CB.com's 2012 food and dining predictions. I've always loved postulating about where food and food culture is headed. Sometimes I'm spot on, and other times I've failed miserably. We feel that we have a pretty good pulse on this industry and want to look into that crystal ball and lay out some educated guesses on what the food retail industry may look like like in 2012 without any of the Nicholas Cage Mayan calendar nonsense.
Let's continue with our educated guessing!
Coming in at number seven in our countdown is a slightly altered return to family style dining in 2012. Most of us know family dining as casual dining restaurants where food is often served on platters and the diners serve themselves. Most of us know this concept within the Italian dining format. I can see a model that works within any categorized construct, including QSR, fine dining, modern Bistro and even the bakery-cafe segment. Many of us enjoy the ability to share conversation and food together, and to date this has mostly been relegated to traditional Italian.
With the onset of farm to table concepts, I'm starting to see a unique revival of community and sharing. Many communal table restaurants are slowly migrating towards a family style application. Restaurants are starting to hold weekly family style dinner nights that deviates from their traditional model to embrace this ever popular trend. I'm curious to see what type of adaptation this can bring to more non-traditional venues such as counter service and fast casual concepts. This style of eating has been tough to win over some folks. Many see it as conforming and often that they have to compromise to the group as a whole. Both are valid points, but I see a new breed of this model that can help facilitate the diners ability to choose appropriately within boundaries. The Buca Di Beppo's of the world have held the covenant flame for stewarding family style, which has made it unappealing for many. Eating this way has been seen as a "once a year" meal for family and friends and has deterred frequent visits.
With a little creative menu ingenuity and individual touch, family style dining will make us rethink about "how" we eat out in the future.
2012 Food and Dining Predictions:
