What trends can we expect to see in the food service market this year?

The catering market is currently experiencing an active stage of development. According to RBC, over the past three years, the number of catering establishments in Russia has increased by 15%.

What will be popular in the HoReCa segment in the coming year and what trends in its development will be key? We tried to answer this question and chose 4 of the most striking trends.

Trend #1. Digitalization and automation

This is not a new trend, but it continues to gain momentum. The restaurant business is increasingly introducing technological innovations into its work that help improve efficiency and service levels, as well as reduce costs. Interactive online menus, automated order and payment systems, mobile applications for ordering, chat bots, voice assistants, robot waiters, electronic tipping programs, artificial intelligence-based systems for inventory management and demand forecasting - these and many other technologies will certainly appear or continue to develop in catering establishments this year.

Trend #2: Personalization and Uniqueness

According to a Deloitte survey, 75% of millennials are willing to pay more for a personalized experience in a restaurant or cafe. Other studies show that recommendations based on personal customer preferences help increase the average bill by 10-15%. Therefore, creating personalized offers in catering establishments has also become one of this year's trends. Restaurants and cafes offer visitors a menu based on previous orders and preferences, prepare individual dishes taking into account allergic reactions to certain products and dietary restrictions.

In addition, customers want to receive a unique experience that includes not only food, but also new impressions and emotions. In this regard, immersive restaurants are gaining popularity, as well as cafes where guests can cook or “design” a dish themselves based on selected ingredients.

Trend #3. Delivery as a mandatory part of service

The pace of life is accelerating, and with it the demand for food delivery from restaurants and cafes is growing. Today, customers perceive delivery as a mandatory attribute of the catering industry. For this reason, in 2025, HoReCa will certainly expand its presence in e-commerce, and in order to be on the crest of the wave, restaurants will try to make delivery as convenient as possible: increase the speed of delivery and improve its logistics, provide several payment methods, provide the ability to track the progress of the order and order delivery 24/7, promptly resolve problems with the order, develop dark kitchen networks to expand the menu and create more affordable prices.

Trend #4: Local Cuisine and Local Dishes

The trend towards local cuisine is not least connected with the development of domestic tourism. Restaurants and cafes are becoming one of the important points when choosing a location for travel, and regional catering introduces local cuisine into the menu, thereby demonstrating the identity of the region to tourists through food.

In addition, the trend for local cuisine is supported by the fashion for ecological and healthy food, which in the consumer’s mind is directly connected with farm products from local producers. Therefore, when choosing healthy food, customers often also choose local dishes consisting of locally produced ingredients.