| The restaurant industry is one of the industries | | | | is big now, will only add to the menu offerings of |
| impacted the most by the bad economy. The | | | | pasta dishes. |
| reason is simple - restaurant face rising costs, | | | | Super-size Me No More |
| while consumers looking to save money cut out | | | | This is one that both patrons and restaurants can |
| discretionary spending. Fuel costs make all prices | | | | agree on. Restaurants are looking to cut back by |
| go up especially food, which must be transported | | | | offering smaller portions. And Americans are only |
| to restaurants, and when trying to trim the | | | | too happy to go along as they attempt to eat |
| budgets, many consumers start cooking at home | | | | healthier. But this comes with a caveat. Although |
| to save money. Restaurants will need to get | | | | Americans are willing to pay the same amount of |
| pretty creative to entice patrons to part with | | | | their hard earned money for smaller portions, |
| their cash. Here is a look at some restaurant | | | | they expect bold flavor in return. They will expect |
| trends you can expect to see next year. | | | | chefs to use in season vegetables and more of |
| Locally Grown Food | | | | them to pack in loads of flavor to their entree. |
| Expect to see more locally grown food next year. | | | | Forgo the Foie Gras |
| With recent scares from tainted food, especially | | | | Another way restaurants will attempt to cut |
| the salmonella incident which mistakenly fingered | | | | costs is to get rid of the really costly items like |
| tomatoes as the culprit, restaurants will need to | | | | Foie Gras and expensive cuts of beef. Get ready |
| be extra careful with the food it serves its diners. | | | | to be introduced to a whole slew of new cuts |
| After all, even though they do not know if they | | | | you never thought you would eat. Like what? |
| bought tainted food, if it makes a customer sick | | | | How about chicken livers, tongue, pigs cheeks,etc, |
| that customer will always remember them as the | | | | etc. |
| restaurant that gave them food poisoning. More | | | | Deals, Deals, Deals |
| restaurants will end up sourcing their food from | | | | Restaurants are really trying to get creative to |
| local farms and Farmers Markets to ensure fresh | | | | get customers in their door. I have seen many |
| ingredients. | | | | more coupons and BOGO deals than I have ever |
| More Pasta Please | | | | seen before. You will probably see more Fixed |
| Pasta is one of the most inexpensive menu items | | | | Price or Prix Fixe deals, which used to be |
| for a restaurant to make. For the most part, | | | | relegated to dining week or those restaurants in |
| sauce ingredients are cheap, so restaurants can | | | | the theatre district. I think you will start to see |
| get away with charging $15 for an entree that | | | | more of these in the burbs and some chain |
| probably only cost them $1. And they can get | | | | restaurants like Fridays and Applebees have |
| away with hardly putting any meat in the dish as | | | | already implemented such offerings. |
| patrons fill up quickly on pasta.This, coupled with | | | | Keep your eyes peeled for deals, especially for |
| the fact the pasta is a great comfort food, which | | | | weekday deals when business is extra slow. |