10 Restaurant Trends for 2024 You Can Use to Your Advantage

Working in the restaurant industry implies always being open to change. Ingredient prices often change, clients’ food preferences constantly evolve, and you never know what new external factor might impact our lives each year (the 2020 pandemic was four years ago, but we can still observe its effects).

Therefore, if you want to remain relevant and get people to choose your restaurant over your competition, you must not shy away from the current trend. Check out the restaurant trends for 2024 you can take advantage of:

Try these restaurant trends in 2024:

1. Unusual ingredients are here to impress

Your food may be great, but so is the one served by countless other restaurants in your area. What can you do to stand out? Start using unusual ingredients in your dishes in 2024!

1 in 4 diners want to try more obscure and unusual menu items, so why not give clients what they want? Here are a couple of ideas for restaurant trends in 2024 that you can try:

• Nose-to-tail-eating: this on the rise movement implies cooking with all parts of the animal, so as not to let anything go to waste. How about some ox tail stew, beef tongue tacos, or beef liver schnitzel?
• Usually ignored local produce: any legume can be made the star of the dish with careful preparation and seasoning. Check out the produce that is usually ignored in your area, be it leaks, lentils, parsnips, artichokes, etc;
• Imported delicacies: allow your clients to try something new that isn’t usually available in your country! You could go for insects, cordyceps, or any other surprising ingredient.

2. Seasonal menus

There's no denying that climate change is a factor that affects our daily lives, including our eating habits. In 2024, some crops may be abundant, and some may be hard to get, leading to a big price increase.

To keep your restaurant profitable, you must constantly adapt your menu. To ensure you have a high enough profit margin, you may need to either up the price, make a few changes to the existing dishes, or implement a whole menu altogether.

Having a seasonal menu is your best bet because the ingredients that are in season are usually the cheapest. Make your life easier by using an online menu that can be changed for free, as many times as you want.

The menu creator embedded in the online ordering system from GloriaFood allows you to make unlimited changes and you can create a whole new menu in just a few minutes.

3. Smaller portions, bigger profit

Do you often see diners leaving food on their plates? Then your portions are too big! This leads to more food waste that is damaging to both your budget and the planet.

One of the biggest restaurant trends in 2024 is small portions that allow customers to share. When a group of friends dine out, they want to try as many of your delicious dishes as they can, so consider sizing down your plates to make it easy and affordable for them.

4. Experience-based dining

Eating out has been getting more expensive lately and diners feel like just a plate of great food is not enough to choose a restaurant. While you can’t control the price increase, you can top the amazing dishes with an added experience.

Here are some restaurant trends in 2024 that involve experience-based dining:

• Sip and paint: pair up with local artists to organize an event where people get to enjoy a great meal while also learning how to paint;
• Live music: showcase local musicians that will provide a great atmosphere for your clients;
• Cooking show: turn an evening into a cooking lesson where customers can get tips from your experienced chef.

Speaking of a great customer experience, don’t forget about the customers that order online. Use an online ordering system that allows them to order in a couple of seconds and pair it with irresistible promotions.

5. Dishes full of spiciness

The younger generation is gradually getting more buying power, so you must also cater to their taste if you want to convince them to buy from your restaurant. One of the Gen Z restaurant trends in 2024 is spicy everything, be it condiment, sauce, oil, or main dish.

Now is the type to experiment with homemade hot sauces (fermented is the way to go) that you can add as a topping to most of your dishes. You get to make clients happy while you increase your profit as toppings have the highest profit margin.

Check out this video that teaches you how to customize menu items with add-ons:

You can balance the flavor of hot dishes with sweet ingredients such as fruits to have an option for customers who prefer a milder spice.

6. More plant-based cuisine

More and more people are turning to a plant-based diet and are on the lookout for restaurants that offer them options. Gone are the days when vegetarians could only eat the sides, now you can offer them complex dishes that make their mouths water at a single glance.

Don’t try to make your dishes look and taste like animal products. Instead, celebrate the unique taste and texture of every ingredient, focusing on protein-full ones such as mushrooms, beans, and edamame.

Don't forget to mark your menu items that are fit for a specific diet. With our menu creator, you can mark your dishes as any of the following: Hot, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Halal, Nut-free, Dairy-free, or Raw.

7. Healthy food trends in 2024

New year, new me! This is what most of us say at the start of the year when we swear to only eat healthy foods. Year after year, we can see a rise in interest in healthy meals, especially for millennials and Gen Zs.

Here are the predicted healthy restaurant trends for 2024:

• Plant-based seafood such as carrot lox or mushrooms resembling scallops;
• More plant-based protein;
• Food that contains probiotics such as kimchi, yogurt, fermented cheeses, miso and pickled vegetables;
• No sugar or artificial sweeteners.

If you offer healthier meals, let your clients know by adding nutritional information to your menu items. While you’re there, also add allergen information to make it easy for people to choose dishes that are safe for them.

8. Food and beverage trends in 2024

When we’re talking about restaurant trends in 2024, we can’t ignore the beverages. After all, every dish goes best with a complementary drink. Try out these ideas in the new year:

• Non-alcoholic cocktails: with the rise of the healthy diet, many people are letting go of alcohol. But they still want to enjoy a drink that surprises them with a new and bold flavor combination;
• Botanically based drinks: get busy infusing your drinks with flower petals, herbs, and plants to give people an unforgettable experience;
• Fermented drinks: kombucha paved the way for many other fermented drinks you could offer your clients, such as kvass or tepache.

9. Food packaging trends in 2024

Just like in previous years, the key food packaging trend is sustainability. Most of your clients are aware of the effect single-use plastic has on our environment and are keen to support businesses that have implemented eco-friendly practices.

We recommend you have a look around in your area and see what your options are for sustainable packaging. People are continuously coming up with new ideas, such as materials made from pulp fiber or crop waste.

You may find a business near you that is in the beginning stages that you can form a partnership with to create environmentally friendly packaging for your food.

10. Bakery trends in 2024

If you own a bakery or sell bakery products at your restaurant, here are the trends you must adopt in 2024 to attract more customers:

• Vegan-friendly pastries that allow people who follow a plant-based diet to indulge in their sweet tooth;
• Sourdough bread and pastries products for people who are on the lookout for food that is gut-healthy;
• Use ingredients that are natural and organic for your products and market them as such.

Final Words

Being on top of the restaurant trends for 2024 helps you attract more customers by giving them what they want. Try out the ideas presented here and then go a step further and directly ask your clients what they would like to see more of in your menu.