Hospitality industry trends can span various landscapes. For instance, some businesses might prioritize serving popular food trends, while others center around restaurant technology.

Food tech and hospitality software companies work together to create new and exciting ways to service their customers. To maintain a positive reputation and stay above the competition, it’s important to keep up with hospitality industry trends–you never know which ones will suit your business model.

Hospitality Industry Trends

Onboarding hospitality industry trends is vital for short and long-term growth. It’s a foolproof way to keep customers excited to visit while staying relevant. When debating which hospitality industry trends to pursue, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this trend align with our mission and values?
• Does this trend pair well with our current menu?
• Does this trend suit my customer base?
• Will pursuing this trend be expensive?

Asking yourself these questions when considering hospitality industry trends will give better insight into what will work best for your eatery.

Current Trends In the Hospitality Industry

As the restaurant industry evolves, various hospitality industry trends come and go. But as of recent years, there are many hospitality industry trends to try out. Read on to learn about ten current trends in the hospitality industry.

1. Online Ordering

Food delivery isn’t exactly one of the newer hospitality industry trends. However, the innovation that allows customers to place orders anywhere at any time has been groundbreaking in recent years.

Many hospitality industry trends revolve around speed and efficiency. Online ordering apps make it easier than ever to process orders. It ensures accuracy since the kitchen staff will have a digital record of it, which is a plus. It also provides customers with a huge variety.

Food delivery apps are also ideal for maximizing the restaurant profit margin. Such apps include upselling features to help increase cart values. Consumer data reports show that people tend to spend more money online than in person, so this makes for even larger net sales.  

2. Custom Meals and Drinks

Menu items that you can customize are becoming increasingly popular, especially at resorts. It’s a fun and unique way to keep guests entertained and satisfied.

Maybe a customer would like to mix and match the sides that go with their entree food. Or perhaps they’re not in the mood for standard mixed drink recipes and would like to create something of their own. Regardless of their ideas, accommodating all your customers with unique features is a great selling point.

3. Thematic Menus and Eateries

If you’d like your restaurant to serve a pretty general menu, it can be difficult to initiate product differentiation. But what if we told you that this marketing technique doesn’t have to involve the actual ingredients you serve?

A business owner or restaurant manager can transform the entire business by adopting a theme. We see this a lot in country club marketing tactics and ways to open a bar that will immediately draw customers.

Not only can this strategy allow a restaurant to stand out within a niche market, but it can also separate your business from the competition. Be sure to research restaurant marketing ideas for inspiration.

4. Group Savings

We’ve all likely seen menu types where you can get a discount for ordering with others. For instance, some eateries have a 2/$20 deal, while others offer an item from the dessert or appetizer list if you order other courses.

Restaurants make it super easy for customers to retrieve these discounts, especially when they come in with larger parties. Plus, that’s smart from a marketing perspective, too. If people feel inclined to bring their friends and family, that’s many more people visiting the business.

Group ordering also pairs well with booking restaurant reservations. As more restaurants onboard reservation software, they’ll also make room for more sales and exposure.

5. Voice Ordering

Voice ordering for restaurants is one of the newest forms of innovative restaurant technology. It allows customers to place orders via engaging communication channels.

An interactive voice response system will work to retrieve the order and process it. Not only is voice ordering a unique feature for a brand’s entire customer profile, but it helps in abiding by ADA compliance protocols.

To be ADA-compliant, eateries should implement visual, audio, and touchscreen features. In doing so, everyone can place orders and receive their food. Fortunately, the industry sees that voice ordering is a great solution for these matters.

Contact us today to learn how a beverage inventory app can help scale your business.

6. Contactless Payments

If a global health crisis taught us one thing, it’s that limiting contact with the general public is preferable. Payment processing options that can complete a transaction by scanning a smartphone are ideal for any business.

Just think about how many cards, receipts, and dollar bills are handled by wait staff in restaurants. There are countless chances for germs and viruses to travel, making contactless payments a much safer option for everyone.

7. Rewards Programs

A restaurant loyalty program should always be a part of your restaurant business plan. They are alluring to new customers while incentivizing current clientele to return.

A customer rewards program can consist of various perks and tiers. Some programs provide customers with an ultimate experience after reaching a certain level. Others will simply offer different freebies along the way that they can redeem at any time.

Just ensure that your loyalty program allows your business to remain profitable. The last thing you’d want is to initiate a marketing effort involving free perks, that in return, causes the business to exceed its budget.

8. Quick Service Eateries

A quick service restaurant can be a very profitable business venture. Such eateries operate with minimal inventory and staff, which lowers many restaurant expenses.

If you’re looking for a way to be more trendy and branded, consider virtual brands. These restaurants rely on digital marketing and delivery services. It’s a very lucrative business model to consider. Just ensure that you know the difference between virtual brands vs ghost kitchens (see: ghost kitchen meaning).

9. Kiosks

Self ordering kiosks are efficient and lucrative tech solutions. Consumers have the option to purchase prepared food on the fly or retrieve something made to order.

Kiosks are very successful dining options in busy areas. Whether you’re shopping at the local mall or traveling within a high tech cruise ship, you’ll likely find multiple kiosks.

It’s also important to note that kiosks entail minimal costs and employees. So if you’re looking to launch a food business on a strict budget, this option might work very well for you.

10. DIY Food Service

Many eateries take the entertainment aspect of the business one step further with DIY activities. One of the first times that consumers got to experience this eatery style was in the 2010s when frozen yogurt shops grew in popularity. Rather than ordering something from a dessert menu, customers could make their own treat, where the weight would dictate the price.

Many eateries that offer sweet treats onboard this kind of structure. Items like ice cream sundaes and s’mores are simple ideas for DIY options, and it can be just as fun for the customers.  

Contact us for a demo now to see how our off-premise solutions can help grow revenue and earnings of restaurants.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hospitality Industry Trends

Want to learn more about hospitality industry trends? There’s so much to cover, so keep reading to discover more details on the topic!

What Are Trends In the Hospitality Industry?

Trends in the hospitality industry include robotic devices and online services. The industry has been using augmented reality and artificial intelligence in recent years more than ever.

What Are Five Trends Influencing the Hospitality Industry?

The five trends influencing the hospitality industry the most are:

1. Virtual reality
2. Digital signage
3. Blockchain
4. Chatbots
5. The internet

Is the Hospitality Industry Growing In 2024?

Yes, the hospitality industry is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Hotel guests and restaurant visitors increase on an annual basis.

What Are the Latest Trends In Hospitality Marketing?

Most of the latest trends in hospitality marketing revolve around digital efforts. Ideas like restaurant SEO and social media marketing are huge within the industry.

What Are the Top Technology Trends In the Hospitality Industry?

The top technology trends in the hospitality industry are restaurant tech, digital devices for ordering food, app integrations, and ways to prevent food waste. It’s important to keep in mind that all of these efforts use technological advancements in some capacity.