At a time when uncertainty is still playing a leading role in the Ho.Re.Ca. – hotel, restaurant, catering – sector, the desire to return to normality is evident to all, even with the necessary precautions determined by the still ongoing pandemic. In 2020, the restaurant market had to face a major change, which is still affecting how it is used and operated. Restaurants and hospitality businesses have made rapid business decisions to continue operating, and some of these changes have evolved into trends that are likely to persist into the future.
The restaurant market in 2021
After a rocky start, data on the restaurant industry recorded in September saw interesting growth, +18 percent over 2020, hinting at glimpses of recovery. The latter is still slow, considering the latest numbers, due to restrictions that began with the fall. Out of home is about 75% of the pre-pandemic crisis value, and growth in the latest period is higher than 2020 reopenings. Estimates are that out of home consumption will close in 2021 at 50 billion, or ¾ of the 2019 market value. Sales are weighed down by the industry’s performance in December, for which estimates spoke of 7.1 billion euros, compared to 8.8 billion in 2019.
Expectations of matching pre-pandemic values again in 2022, although with different trends, remain high. Certainly, in addition to pandemic trends, the general economic situation and restaurant capacity guidelines, which have seen and are still seeing restrictions due to social distancing, will greatly influence. Also crucial will be changes in the lives and work of consumers, as well as the psychological aspect of whether or not they consider hotels, restaurants, and bars dangerous.
Craving for warmth, served with Stoneware
Trends for the restaurant industry in 2022
The meaning of dining experience has changed with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. As restaurateurs adapt to the new circumstances, new ways of interaction are being designed, following and anticipating trends that emerged during this period, starting with creating a family atmosphere, while never neglecting aesthetics, in which design becomes critical to ensure a holistic customer experience.
Restaurants must be safe and convey peace of mind
In a world where uncertainty and unpredictability reign, it is normal to want to find a familiar and comforting place in a hospitality facility, such as restaurants, bars, and hotels.
In 2020, restaurants were forced to close or change their business model. Now, as they try to catch up in 2022, to attract new customers and retain current ones, it is critical to meet culinary and design requirements to make consumers feel safe. In addition to changing spaces to make them safer, new contactless payment methods are being used for a new approach to ensure security. Hygiene and cleanliness are essential: in addition to furniture and constant sanitization, one basic aspect should not be overlooked, and that is hygiene in the kitchen.
Tableware materials thus become a starting point from which to build the safety of the entire restaurant. Porcelain can make a difference by having a smooth, nonporous surface that is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Quality porcelain, such as MPS porcelain, guaranteed for food contact by ICQ, can also help add to the aesthetics of a presentation that smacks of nostalgia and a desire to regain serenity. Spending more time at home during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic has given some people the time and desire to experiment in the kitchen, even dusting off old family recipes that can revive perhaps forgotten emotions. Food thus becomes much more than “eating,” but a way of feeling close.
The warmth conveyed by a meal full of memories, served on the welcoming hues and textures reminiscent of ancient materials: Stoneware. MPS Porcellane’s Stoneware line includes pans, cake plates, bowls, casseroles and compartment dishes for items that feature all the advantages of porcelain, starting with its durability, for professional use that will bring homemade style to the table in even the most fashionable restaurants.
Finger line responds to new trends for individual, tailored meals
Buffets and restricted menus
In 2020 and much of 2021, it was not possible to share moments together, even as a family. Thanks to the availability of the vaccine, now leaving the house and having dinner together is once again possible. Spending time with loved ones or meeting new ones goes hand in hand with tasting new foods, while in the world of work, things have also changed: the shift from office-based work to a hybrid home-office version has caused companies to rethink how they use workplace dining. This has also prompted restaurants to get creative about how to rebuild a renewed catering business.
In such cases, the right items are the starting point for serving food in the best way: instead of shared plates, the finger food trend, which now represents a full meal, may be the solution. Finger line is the surprise that combines remote workers and surprises in buffets and ceremonies, in the elegance of black, also in cast iron versions, or in the brilliance of classic white. Porcelain containers that can recreate all the completeness of a lunch or dinner, in the simple modernity of finger food, which in its own way is the elaboration of a concept of sublime culinary experience.
Menu variety plays a substantial role in any dining experience, but sometimes it is better to focus on presenting fewer dishes that focus on the quality of the food. When the restaurant menu is shorter, the courses must be perfect and meet, in less time and quantity, customers’ expectations. There are also those who prefer not to sit at a table, but to consume meals quickly: the chef’s creativity must be enhanced and embodied in individual courses, triumphant on the Handware line. Porcelain items that do not compare to classic “plates,” but functional design objects that allow you to enjoy starters, main courses, side dishes and desserts in a modern and innovative way.
Eco-sustainability and quality
The ever-growing topic on the environment will also take center stage in 2022. It is not enough to look at how large corporations and restaurant chains under indictment for using plastic act, it is time to do something by selecting environmentally sustainable alternatives. Porcelain is the preferred material for kitchen tableware: it comes from raw materials native to the earth for products with unparalleled versatility and durability. This is precisely why porcelain is a sustainable material that is characterized by its durability, thus reducing waste and discards, benefiting the environment. All MPS Porcellane items are made using production cycles with low environmental impact and contain no lead or cadmium, for safe and eco-friendly tableware.
Quality takes center stage with exceptional tableware that brings trends to the table: reducetarianism, that is, people who are not entirely vegetarian or vegan, but aim to eat less meat, dairy, and eggs primarily for environmental reasons. Whether customers order quality meat or fish, it will be crucial to present in style to celebrate their favorite dishes. Oval Fish Plate, Simple line, is the combination of the most traditional simplicity, with the class of porcelain. Or Steak Plate, Hotel line, with a perfect shape for the most juicy meat.
Steak plate, Hotel line, for traditional or newer tastes
MPS Porcelain: ideal partner
Whatever the style of your restaurant, at a time such as the one we are living through, marked by uncertainty and change, it is even more essential for all Ho.Re.Ca. professionals to be able to count on a reliable partner, able to follow and anticipate trends with their customers, for ad hoc supplies that are always impeccable. We at MPS Porcellane are like that: we believe that direct relationships and exchange of opinions are indispensable, in order to build an exceptional culinary experience for the end consumer, one that exceeds his expectations and surprises him by presenting what he is looking for, even before it is requested. It is precisely our know-how, built over more than 30 years of experience, that allows us to be able to affirm our ability to guarantee supplies of porcelain items of excellence, in step with the market’s dynamism.
