2020 was a challenging year for businesses and people across the world. One of the biggest challenges was eating. When cafes, restaurants, diners, and even local dives closed down, they left many people unhappy. Why? They were extremely hungry, anxious, frustrated, and stressed because they couldn’t dine out. Slowly we were able to adapt to the pandemic closures. But we never got comfortable with it because the rules and guidelines kept changing on us.
Fast forward to 2021 and our new reality. Some restaurants have opened up. Others were closed by government order. Sadly many didn’t survive 2021. Well, out with the old and in with the new, life must go on.
So, what new food and dining trends will dominate 2021. Well, it’s a mixed bag for sure. Let’s take a look at what you can expect this year.
Food and Dining Trends in 2021
- Convenience and Affordability are Fashionable
In 2021, you may have gotten a little or really excited about cooking at home and trying new recipes. Well, after months of doing that and managing your workload, a family that never leaves home, or the stress from looking for a job, you want food that is convenient and affordable. After all, food is supposed to relax you. It should be your little vacation from reality, not another stressor.
You, like numerous others, are expected to purchase more convenient and less pricey foods in 2021. Less pricey because many people still have uncertain financial futures. Or, they are just getting by, but want quality food in their bellies. Just remember, convenient food doesn’t mean cheap, poor quality, low nutrient food. It can also mean eating more fruits, vegetables, and nuts from the farmers’ market. You can also achieve this goal by getting a food subscription or signing up for a food plan. The key is that it must be affordable and comfortably fit into your lifestyle.
- Special Occasion Dining
After being barred from dining out for an extended period of time, you may have begun to place a premium on dining outside of your home. You are not alone! Many people want to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and new babies in public places. This desire for a public display of happiness, joy, and normalcy will cause large numbers of people to make plans to eat in nice restaurants for special events. So, if you are craving a traditional celebration in a restaurant where you and your friends and family are catered to by staff, you are not alone.
- Delivery Dining Continues to Soar
For restaurants that could quickly adapt, their solution to the shutdown of businesses was likely home delivery. As the return to normalcy was repeatedly delayed, you and others may have also given up hope of ever leaving your home. Thus, you decided to weather the pandemic with home deliveries from your favorite eateries. Well, you and many others helped those businesses to stay alive and revamp their services. Now, many local businesses and those that are reopening are ready for you. You can order your favorite dishes from them and have them delivered steaming hot. To help you out, you can call the eatery, order online, or order using an app on your mobile phone. Whatever the case, prepare for a boom in delivery dining services. Your options will greatly increase in 2021.
- Drive-In Dining More Common
Although many restaurants adopted delivery menus, others stayed open by creating drive-in services for their customers. The drive-in allowed you to eat out in the safety of your vehicle. Plus, the staff serving you was sanitized, healthy, and wore face-masks. If you enjoyed your drive-in experience in 2020, prepare for even better experiences in 2021. Restaurants have had time to customize their menus, create games for children and even create some entertainment for you to enjoy while you dine in your vehicle. The best part is that it doesn’t cost more than dining in a traditional restaurant. Even better, you are less likely to be disturbed or irritated by the people dining next to you. For a bit of adventure, you can visit different drive-ins in different areas. For family fun, extend your time away from home by exploring your local area and dining out at the same time.
- Fast-Casual Restaurants Boom Period
As expected, you may be dying for some fast-casual dining at Applebees, T.G.I. Fridays, or the Olive Garden. You deserve that elegance, those yummy appetizers, and to feel a little normal again. Even in this topsy-turvy world, you can remember all the good times you had there before the pandemic closures. Moreover, your favorite casual dining restaurants have changed. They have spread the tables out more, made things more sanitary, and employ better paid (translation: happier) staff. Motivated and happy staff will probably deliver better, higher quality service than ever before. Enjoy it!
- Comfort Foods Soar
The least surprising dining trend of 2021 is the insatiable hunger for comfort food. Did you miss dining at Burger King, KFC, Hardee’s, or Denny’s? Well, if you didn’t, others did, especially children, students, and people with limited income. Also, if you have to travel to work early in the morning and couldn’t bring yourself to get up early to make breakfast, a fast-food restaurant was probably a regular stop on the way to work. For those graveyard people, from work to home, fast-food is king. Still, as lockdowns are lifted and people are getting vaccinated, the fast food places are feeling the pain of many customers and not enough staff to serve them all. If you have already been forced to deal with this situation there is hope. More and more restaurants are raising their staff’s pay and providing incentives to attract staff so that you don’t have to wait to get your comfort food.
Final Thoughts . . .
You may already be doing all these things. Or, you could be wondering what people are doing now to alleviate the boredom and feeling of being trapped in a predictable routine. If you’ve done all of these things
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