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Top 10 menu trend stories of 2020

The year’s top stories on new menu items, trends and new directions, including grab and go, comfort food, wellness revisited, virtual chefs and more.

Tara Fitzpatrick, Editor-in-Chief

November 19, 2020

10 Slides
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When 2020 began, the menu trends on our radar included hyper customization, reusable straws and mugs, build-your-own-fill-in-the-blank bars, shareable snacks…and then came the pandemic.

The months of quarantine, lockdowns and turmoil that followed meant quite a few of these menu trends were immediately off the menu. Chefs in all segments went into survival mode, then pivoted and some took a step back for menu development. The pivots have included a laser focus on grab and go, delivery, meal kits and menu items that can make the trip from kitchen (or ghost kitchen) to the customer’s home.

The onsite food service industry in particular had one of their longtime MVPs rudely taken away—the salad bar. But there are ways around that, and other obstacles, too. Take a look at the trends that have shaped this topsy-turvy year where answers don’t come easy, but comfort food makes things easier.

Contact Tara at [email protected].

Follow her on Twitter @Tara_Fitzie

About the Author

Tara Fitzpatrick

Editor-in-Chief, Informa

Tara Fitzpatrick is editor-in-chief of FoodService Director. She previously served as senior editor for Food Management magazine.

Previously, Tara was a reporter for the daily newspaper in her hometown of Lorain, Ohio, where she still resides. She holds a journalism degree from Kent State University. She's also a mom, a pretty good home cook and a fan of ghost stories, folklore, architecture, retro recipes and cats.

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