It is officially fall, which means we are slowly saying goodbye to the heat and saying hello to the breeze. For restaurants, it means updating their menu to accommodate seasonal menu item trends. When people think about food during the autumn season, most think of spices, warmth, and comfort food. This blog will cover the latest restaurant food trend forecasts for this season that will help inspire your fall menu.

Fermentation

Chef Dana Cohen, a finalist from Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen, predicted that fermented food would be a trending food item this season. Fermented foods provide many health benefits, including detoxifying and digestive benefits.1

As the colder months approach, 93% of consumers usually want to eat healthier, and 63% want to eat healthy most of the time. That said, fermented foods are one of the most popular health-promoting foods.2

Beyond kombucha and kimchi, some other well-known fermented food items include sauerkrauts, pickled radish, and other pickled vegetables, and the Japanese fermented soybeans called natto. Yogurt and miso are other popular fermented items to include in your restaurant’s menu this season. Some restaurants and bars have been offering alcoholic kombucha and different healthy alternative beers for their customers.

Soups and Curry

Soups have always been a favorite of many to order during the fall and winter seasons. During fall, consumers have reported soups that have various spices in them. A few soups include Thai curry basil, taco soup, white chicken chili, and coconut curries from any region. Soups will be easy for chefs to take the innovative step of reinventing these classical flavors and making them something new that their customers will enjoy.

Chef Kyle has predicted that bold soups will be popular this year. Some ideas for bold soups are roasted pear and butternut squash, bone broths, curry stews, and incorporating flavors like seaweed, kelp, and spirulina.3 It’ll also be best to include popular regional or global flavors into these classic soups, such as corn, andouille sausage, cilantro, Thai chili peppers, bulgogi-flavored meat, and more.

Snacks and Sharables

The fall season also means football season. Football fan-favorite food and drinks include pizza, wings, and beer. It is best to ensure that your menu item also has easily sharable items for large groups during this time. Some appetizers to think about adding to your menu this season include taquitos, nachos, poached fish, and baked or fried mushrooms.

Let’s Talk

Goliath Consulting Group is a restaurant consultancy group based in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about digital training and the types of software that are offered, contact us to find out which is the right fit for your restaurant: http://www.goliathconsulting.com or email us at getresults@goliathconsulting.com

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