Future of Foodservice Ideation Workshop

Food is a communicative practice that upholds and builds a connection with people, places, and culture. With that perspective in mind, the foodservice industry is evolving into the food care industry. This means that consumers want food, and, thus, the foodservice industry, to provide more than mere nutrition. Consumers want the experience and human connection that food can facilitate. We predict that such intangible and social preferences will grow in breadth, depth, and urgency, eventually transforming those preferences into demands in the food industry.

Using a grid analysis tool, we can compare three scenarios (reconnection, customization, and food values) through the lenses of consumers, providers, and facilitators. In this context, reconnection is defined as the need for human relationships and interactions; customization as human’s personal needs (religious, dietary, and allergy-related); and food values as environmental, ethical, and social considerations when making decisions about food.

The world doesn’t change when scientists invent something new; rather, the world changes when consumers change their expectations as a result of those new inventions. Similarly, the food innovations will not change the world on their own; rather, innovations will change the world when consumers adjust their purchasing decisions to reflect the consequences of those innovations upon their understanding of "food".
The challenge is not so much to predict the future as it is to shape it.

Whole series:
14. September: Agro-Innovations in Smart Cities
21. September: Future of Protein
28. September: Food Care - Future of Foodservice
05. September: Scalable Sustainability & Circular System