Menu Trends

  • Canadian consumers have a taste for sweet treats

    November 14, 2022
    As consumer habits continue to shift and off-premise dining remains a popular option, desserts and sweet treats are making their way onto more and more takeout orders. According to the 2022 Online Ordering Trends report from Restaurants Canada, this is an ongoing trend, with baked goods taking top spot in the delivery and pickup category for ...
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  • Can dynamic pricing work for your restaurant?

    November 4, 2022
    As Canadians continue to face inflation and the possibility of a recession, many restaurants are looking to recoup costs without abruptly raising menu prices. Dynamic pricing could be the answer. What is dynamic pricing? In simple terms, it’s the idea that prices fluctuate across the board on a schedule several times a year. While this still ...
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  • Boost your restaurant business with the after-work crowd

    November 1, 2022
    Restaurants need to constantly be on the lookout for creative ways to increase their guest counts and attract new clientele. With consumers craving social experiences and more employees heading back into the office, restaurants may be able to appeal to an after-work crowd to get more people through the doors. A recent survey found that diners ...
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  • Trend Watch: Miso cocktails, huitlacoche, prickly ash

    October 31, 2022
    By Katie Belflower Our latest edition of Trend Watch with Technomic highlights three menu trends on the rise across Canada right now and looks at how restaurants are successfully adding them to their menus. Miso cocktails Operators are featuring miso (the salty fermented soybean paste) in cocktails, alongside citrus fruits or other acidic elements, including vinegar. Spotlighting miso ...
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  • Food photography is a crucial part of your menu

    October 28, 2022
    Is your food photography translating to sales for your restaurant? 82 per cent of people say they would order a dish based on its photo, so appealing photos can mean more profits. In fact, restaurants switching from a text-based online menu to a photo-based menu reported increased conversion rates of 25 per cent. Whether you’re using ...
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  • 5 food holidays to celebrate in November, from nachos to French toast

    October 27, 2022
    By Megan Prevost With the end of the year approaching fast, it’s time to celebrate the last of the food holidays in November. Strap in for a sweet month because we’ve got lots of sugary holidays on the docket! Celebrating a food holiday is a great way to introduce new menu items and specials while also attracting ...
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  • How restaurant hacks and secret menus could affect your bottom line

    October 19, 2022
    Restaurant hacks and secret menus are all the rage on TikTok, with guests posting their favourite ways to customize popular items, sometimes creating a whole new dish or experience. While this may be fun for guests, it’s not always ideal for your staff or your business. How could this trend affect your restaurant’s bottom line? More labour ...
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  • Restaurant menus reflect consumer demand for more protein and protein-alternatives

    October 7, 2022
    If protein is getting more real estate on your menu, you’re right on-trend. From premium to plant-based, consumer demand for protein is high, as rising costs and labour shortages have restaurateurs adjusting their menus. Technomic’s recent report takes a closer at customer preferences and which proteins are topping the charts. In the health food category, pollock is ...
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  • Concepts to Watch: Michel’s, Angry Dragonz, Bubble World

    October 4, 2022
    By Katie Belflower Attracting attention for your restaurant is crucial in offering something unique to your customers. In the latest edition of Concept Watch, RestoBiz and Technomic focus on three key restaurant concepts from Canadian foodservice. This month, we are highlighting Michel’s Bakery Cafe, Angry Dragonz, and Bubble World and showcasing how these restaurants are expanding Canadian ...
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  • How restaurants are adjusting their menus to stay viable

    October 3, 2022
    Confronted with labour shortages, inflation, supply-chain stretches, and other operational challenges, restaurants are having to find a variety of ways to adjust their business model to stay attractive to consumers and stay viable within a competitive industry. Many of those changes have come on menus. Toast’s first Voice of the Restaurant Industry survey found that one-third ...
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  • 5 food holidays to celebrate in October, from tacos to chocolate

    September 29, 2022
    By Megan Prevost It’s almost October, so you know what that means: fall goodies, Halloween decorations and candy, and of course, pumpkin spice everything. But how do you choose what items to showcase or what specials to run? Sometimes there are just too many delicious foods to feature. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. Every month is packed ...
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  • Beverage demand from consumers drives takeout and delivery menus

    September 28, 2022
    We’ve seen many changes to consumer preferences since the pandemic, and beverage demands are the latest addition to this list, driving a shift in restaurant delivery and takeout menus. With the growth of third-party takeout and delivery orders up 63 per cent from pre-pandemic days, this is an important market to consider. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic ...
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  • How to incorporate the trendiest ingredients into your bowls

    September 26, 2022
    Food bowls have become popular in recent years, with 35 per cent of Canadian restaurants now featuring either a savoury or sweet bowl option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Many consumers are looking for healthy, value-conscious meals, and food bowls fit the bill. Beautifully simple, bowls typically include a base, a protein, complementary toppings, and ...
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  • Pumpkin spice season is leading the early charge into fall

    September 9, 2022
    It used to be that pumpkin spice and fall-related flavours arrived on the shelves just before Thanksgiving, but these days, retailers have been capitalizing on these seasonal offerings since as early as mid-August. As 54 per cent of operators said that limited-time offers (LTOs) are a central part of their business, they plan to release ...
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  • Trend Watch: Ssamjang, daisy buttons, banana ketchup

    September 1, 2022
    By Katie Belflower Each edition of our Trend Watch with Technomic highlights three menu trends that are gaining popularity across Canada right now and looks at how Canadian restaurateurs are successfully incorporating them into their menus. Ssamjang Ssamjang is a spicy, paste-like condiment used in Korean cooking. It is made from fermented soybean paste, red chile paste, ...
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