Restaurants will also be challenged to offer healthier (but appealing), menu-transparency-driven offerings, and new pricing structures that preserve margins while meeting consumers' continued demand for deals.
The good news: Weariness with penny-pinching and some economic improvement should encourage the occasional splurge in "high experience," novel restaurant formats, and even in high-end eateries.
Also, Technomic sees opportunities in trendy "adult" beverages like retro cocktails and sangria punches, and in new variations on "world"/multicultural and "comfort" foods.