ABSTRACT
This chapter considers a range of trends affecting the food and drink service industry. It reviews different opinions and sources that inform a discussion of these trends. The chapter highlights five key issues across four main areas – trends in consumer behaviour, trends in the area of sustainability, trends in business ethics and trends in technology. The trend has also arrived in the UK, with chefs such as Michel Roux at Le Gavroche embracing the approach of removing the service charge and increasing menu prices. A new trend in home delivery is for the delivery company itself to set up and operate delivery only kitchens on behalf of restaurant chains. Developments in technology affect the industry in many ways, from the involvement of science in the production and processing of food to the use of information technology in restaurant operations and the impact of social media on restaurant marketing.
