5 Best and 5 Worst Trends In Dining

Jerry Prendergast says:

5 Best Trends

1. Food Trucks: They continue to offer unusual food choices to
those on the go and the transient nature of this trend provides
welcome variety to standard neighborhood offerings.

2. Pop-up Restaurants: The idea of exciting food offered in
changing environments from a variety of chefs who do not have a
restaurant in which to serve their product is provocative and
inspiring.

3. Down Marketing by great chefs: It is wonderful that chefs like
Brendon Collins can open a wonderful gastro pub like Waterloo & City.
His experience in Michelin starred establishments give him the
technique and training to make amazing dishes at reasonable prices
for those who cannot currently afford the experience of fine-dining.

4. Food Blogs: They give access to so many more writers to
"review" new establishments of all types as well as allot
opportunities to restaurants that do not have a marketing budget.

5. Comfort food from “Out Of the Past”: New pizza places,
burgers, pies, cupcakes and muffins all done with an updated twist.
The market for classic foods and cooking seems to go on forever and I
love many of the restaurants. However, I would like to see more LOVE
in the execution not just jumping on the bandwagon.

5 Worst Trends

1. Food trucks: They continue to take business from brick and
mortar restaurants who expend many months and money going through
permitting, real estate acquisition, parking and zoning.

2. Pop-up restaurants: The idea that a chef will not go through
the trouble of putting together his own restaurant and allow someone
else to take the liability for him is troubling. The "guest" chef
has no investment or risk in offering his food by using the premises
of another.

3. Down Marketing by Great Chefs - It is sad that the days of
“Haute Cuisine” seem to be ending. I lament the days of dressing
for dinner and dining like "adults" on real china, using silver and
being served by a professional waiter.

4. Food Blogs: They let anyone qualified or not rant about places
with or without reason. There is no sense of responsibility to the
reader or to the community at large.

5: Comfort Food: Too many places recreating things from out of the
past with a twist. I want to see innovation with new challenging food
trends but we are just coming out of a recession and risk adversity
is still the norm.

Prendergast & Associates, founded by Jerry Prendergast, has a long
and stellar history in the world of restaurant development and
consulting. The Los Angeles based company
(www.restaurantproducer.com) has been involved with restaurant
projects nationally and internationally for 20 years, including that
which welcomes global travelers to Los Angeles, Encounter, created in
cooperation with Disney Imagineering. Prendergast has been
associated with New York’s famed steakhouse Smith & Wollensky and
numerous celebrity chefs such as Josiah Citrin (Melisse, Santa
Monica) and John Sedlar (Abiquiu, Los Angeles), Eric Greenspan (The
Foundry on Melrose, Los Angeles), and Herb Wilson (Soho Grand and
Tribeca Grand, New York). Prendergast & Associates can be followed on
Twitter @ Jerry Prendergast and Facebook @ RestaurantProducer
Prendergast.