Welcome To The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables
Finally, a restaurant trend that appeals to the food itself, rather than a pandemic-related pivot. According to recent news, the United Nations has named 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables – meaning the world as a whole is ready for more plant-based food and healthy eating. What does this mean for restaurants? Regardless of the type of cuisine a restaurant specializes in, there are ways to participate in this exciting new food direction.
When an individual decides to take on a healthier diet, they have to make a plan. Similarly, a pendulum shift toward fresher, plant-based ingredients means restaurants should spend some time at the drawing board thinking about tweaking their menus to offer healthy options and amend existing favorites to continue drawing their core audience. Suppliers can help identify how an ingredient can flex across different recipes and share information on its shelf life and seasonality.
From a marketing perspective, fresh produce offers a clear advantage – it looks great on camera. Restaurant marketing benefits from a highly visual, varied treatment. Restaurant owners can think about how to lean on produce to bring color and liveliness to images across channels – including IRL signage and menus. Beyond being physically pleasing, fruits and vegetables play to customers’ desire to feel rewarded. By sharing the nutritional value of produce, restaurants can help empower their customers to make healthy choices and stand apart from the competition by taking a stance around how food plays into a healthy lifestyle and a healthy planet. Whether or not a restaurant is farm-to-table, a focus on fresh produce allows restaurant marketers to tell a story about how an ingredient is grown, as well as who grows it.
If you’re a restaurant owner seeking a creative angle on your menu and marketing, ASTRALCOM can help. Learn more about our experience helping all kinds of restaurant and food-related businesses grow during these challenging times.
