We’re almost halfway through 2025, yet it feels like we just watched the fireworks and made our New Year’s resolutions. For many restaurants, the busiest season is about to begin, the make-or-break summer months.
So, how do you draw in the crowds as the summer season begins? Today’s diners are looking for something unique, an innovative spark that makes them want to come back for more. Here, we’ll explore what diners really want and which restaurants are delivering.
What Are the Top Food Trends?
It’s the season of vacations, and with it comes images of traveling to exotic places and exploring landscapes yet unseen. Of course, in our current environment, not everyone has the time or means to take off for the summer and explore. What’s the next best thing? Letting their favorite restaurant take them on an experiential adventure.
To accomplish this, restaurants are transforming their environment for special events or as the seasons change. They’re answering diners’ cultural curiosity with global flavors and authentic, nontraditional ingredients. Some are crafting a street-food-inspired menu and changing the surrounding aesthetics to match.
For instance, in response to the growing popularity of za’atar wraps, restaurants are offering this specialty and enhancing the experience by creating a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern aesthetic. This can be achieved by incorporating vibrant colors, warm lighting, and artwork. Music that aligns with the atmosphere also helps transport guests to another country or place in time.
What Are We Drinking?
Wondering what drinks are trending on outdoor patios? Hint: It’s non-alcoholic. Today’s “sober curious” crowd is less curious and more committed. According to a Gallup survey, only 62% of Americans reported drinking, compared to 72% about two decades ago. They are, however, drinking mocktails and zero-proof drinks.
As the sale of alcoholic drinks diminishes, adding these two popular alternatives offers a great way to bring people in and enjoy the special environment you’ve created. Market them in much the same way you do your signature drinks, with enticing descriptions that highlight the image, flavor, and unique ingredients. Consider making pairing suggestions, such as different appetizers that go well with your signature mocktails.
Are We Actually Crafting the Menus with AI?
The New York Times recently explored AI in the restaurant industry. Interestingly, their focus didn’t lean toward POS systems or software, but toward the menu itself. Grant Achatz, the owner of the Chicago-based restaurant Next, is engaging in conversations with ChatGPT, which is generating a nine-course menu. The especially unique spin on this menu is that each course is derived from a different imaginary chef created in the internal workings of ChatGPT. Other chefs and operators are using it to create images, ranging from menu items to the aesthetics of a room.
Still others believe computers and generative AI have no place in the kitchen. This debate seems to be played out in nearly every industry. While taking ChatGPT’s suggestions at face value may find you serving squid tartare with French fries, it can also nudge your creativity, encouraging you to explore flavors and combinations you may never have considered.
Which Restaurant Lays Claim to the Most Popular?
You’ll find many of the most popular restaurants have placed their focus on unique regional flavors, local ingredients, and sustainability. They’re telling stories, from the creator’s origin to the items on the menu and where the products come from. They’re creating adventurous culinary experiences.
According to Food & Wine, the top U.S. restaurant is Burdell in Oakland, where Geoff Davis is offering a unique version of California soul food. The atmosphere takes you back in time, with vintage Corelle china and an old-fashioned stereo system. According to their website, “Burdell is centered on nostalgia, family recipes, and sourcing—and on the forgotten impact of Black farming, ranching, fishing, foraging, and culture on American cuisine and hospitality.” Locally sourced, sustainable, and inspired by Davis’s grandmother, it’s a restaurant focused on everything today’s diners crave.
Other restaurants to make Food & Wine’s top 15 include:
- Canlis in Seattle
- The Musket Room in New York City
- Lowland in Charleston
- Emeril’s in New Orleans
- Mr. Tuna in Portland, Maine
- Yangban in Los Angeles
- My Loup in Philadelphia
- Myriel in Saint Paul
- Stissing House in Pine Plains
- Nancy’s Hustle in Houston
- Penny in New York City
- Sunny’s in Miami
- Virtue in Chicago
- Oyster Oyster in Washington, D.C.
So, how do you get on the best restaurant lists in the U.S. and beyond? Just ask Chat GPT.
