Health food is not a fad anymore

ḳhudī kokarbulanditnā kihartaqdīrsepahle
 ḳhudā bandeseḳhudpūchhebatā terī razā kyā hai
 
 (Make yourself so able that before every decree of fate
 Even god is forced to seek your consent)

- Alaama Iqbal, Bal-e-jibreel (Gabriel's Wing)

Alas! These are beautiful words for an ideal world. The hospitality sectors have been hit hard. Lockdowns, inability to travel, teleworking, social distancing and strict health and safety measures are the factors that have influenced our behaviour, interaction with others and our way of viewing life. The intention is not to be an oracle, but let’s do some realistic Food and Beverage crystal ball gazing.

F&B goes fitter

Health food is not just a fad anymore. Post-pandemic, it’s a reality in the truest sense. More and more people with time at home have immersed themselves into a fitter regime and hence cleaner eating. A survey showed that since the pandemic began, there has been a 24 per cent shift to veganism and plant-based foods world-wide. Immunity building greens, fruits, grains and pulses are all peaking in demand.

Flexibility

No matter who you are, no matter how many hats are there next to your name, survival is the key. Restaurants from around the world are doing whatever it takes to survive – deliver, takeaway, cook at home kitchens, one item menus, combo deals and subscription meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

The rise and rise of aggregators

Almost the entire world of five-star hospitality is now a click away on food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato. This is here to stay. The IPO listing of Zomato being the buzzword in the market this monsoon is testimony to the same.

The champagne is on ice

With pent up travel in every country, food and beverage spends much like hotel room occupancy whenever the flight circuits open up, will skyrocket. Celebrations have been put on hold, good vibes are on the horizon and as an immediate consequence, emotional and occasional splurging will lead to improved revenues per cover/ person in food and beverage whenever international travel resumes. After all, you only live once and the pandemic has been an eye-opener.

Focus on experiences and not just pricing

Very often in the rut to create eye-catching offers, professionals in F&B ignore the experience. Post-pandemic demand for experiential dining, that leave you with unforgettable memories, will see a rise.

Part-time workers

F&B has for long had one of the hardest working people there exist on the planet. With time at home for upskilling, dwindling wages, uncertain future and unstable markets, many have now turned to other professions. The reality for owners in the restaurant business is to may be to resort to worldwide trends of staffing by the hour and rely on a large strength of part-time workers. 

The ‘I’ of MICE and the Big Fat W

Incentive groups of companies will travel domestically and this travel will be at an all-time peak. Additionally, weddings in all formats will drive hotel catering revenues with both at hotel functions and outdoor catering.

Monetising dead spaces

With several hotels closing restaurants to manage efficiency of the work force, reopening will happen in a measured manner. Several closed spaces inside hotels will continue to double up as meeting venues, exclusive boutique banquet spaces and may be even outsourced retail spaces.

Smaller menus, less inventory holding costs and more profitability

The scope for error is now even lesser and GOP level profitability is what F&B businesses will aim at. This will lead to finer menu engineering with an all-star menu display with popular dishes, higher contribution ingredients and more profitability. The low selling, low demand items will be off for good to avoid high inventory and prep costs.

Turn of the tide

A volatile environment always sees the fall of a few and the rise of the new. India and the world will look forward to new brands of food and beverage, new concepts and new entrepreneurs making their way into the scene.

The lifting of restrictions and the administration of the vaccine is not enough for people to dine out again. Transparency with sanitary procedures, strict health and safety regulations and reconditioning of common areas are just some measures restaurants will need to deal with for the long term. 

Do not believe in establishments who do Covid-19 washing. Go to credible brands who believe in sanitisation and Covid-19 protocols rather than just ritualise them. But having said that, go out and eat India eat. 

Remember, time is not linear, as has been explained by our ancient sages. It is a circle. The core concept of karma is that what goes around comes around. The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.