What are some of the 2021 hospitality trends we can expect to see in the new year? <\/p>\n
The h<\/span>ospitality and foodservice industries are ever changing. Year after year, businesses in these spaces\u00a0<\/span>are constantly working to improve themselves and their concept, fighting amongst dozens of competitors\u00a0<\/span>to bring in guests \u2013 and ideally keep them there for years to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2020\u00a0<\/span>has\u00a0<\/span>been<\/span>\u00a0a lot different than what we expected,\u00a0<\/span>especially\u00a0<\/span>in the hospitality\u00a0<\/span>industry<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>As we look ahead<\/span>, it\u2019s important to consider\u00a0<\/span>what\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019ve learned\u00a0<\/span>and experienced\u00a0<\/span>throughout the year in order to understand what to<\/span> expect for 2021 hospitality trends. <\/span>What largely shapes that is the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As the pandemic gained speed in March, bars, restaurants, and hotels around the country were forced<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to shut down amid growing\u00a0<\/span>cases in\u00a0<\/span>the U.S. Over the course of a few months,\u00a0<\/span>thousands of employees were laid off and businesses were shuttered \u2013 some permanently.\u00a0<\/span>During the summer,\u00a0<\/span>most businesses were able to reopen\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0capacity\u00a0<\/span>restrictions\u00a0because cases were declining<\/span>. As we were get<\/span>ting used to our new normal, the country began a second wave of cases.\u00a0<\/span>As of November,\u00a0<\/span>restaurants face being\u00a0<\/span>closed<\/span>\u00a0once more as we\u00a0<\/span>enter\u00a0<\/span>what looks like a long and difficult winter.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In order to<\/span>\u00a0set proper\u00a0<\/span>expectations<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019re<\/span> putting together a list of what <\/span>we can expect to see regarding 2021 hospitality trends. These trends are compiled based on LGC\u2019s <\/span>extensive<\/span>\u00a0experience in the hospitality industry, what we\u2019ve learned from\u00a0<\/span>2020<\/span>, and what experts have begun to pre<\/span>dict for the upcoming year.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Improvement on QSR Concept<\/span><\/b> Because of their continued popularity during the pandemic,\u00a0<\/span>well known\u00a0<\/span>quick service restaurants have been improving on their concepts, whether it\u2019s to make them more\u00a0<\/span>COVID-friendly or to create attractive offerings to drive guests in.\u00a0<\/span>As we kick off the new year, we anticipate not only seeing unique\u00a0<\/span>updates to popular\u00a0<\/span>fast-food<\/span>\u00a0places, but also more options becoming available.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2021 Hospitality Trends \u2013 LGC\u2019s What to Watch: <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Continued Rise of Ghost Kitchens<\/span><\/b> According to\u00a0<\/span>Restaurant Business Online<\/span><\/a>, \u201cThe boom in ghost kitchens catalyzed by the coronavirus will likely outlast the pandemic itself: According to Technomic, sales via ghost restaurants from 300 facilities in the United States will rise by a projected 25% each year for the next 5 years\u2014an estimated $300 million in yearly sales.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ghost kitchens are great\u00a0<\/span>concepts\u00a0<\/span>for restaurants who still want to\u00a0<\/span>offer quality delivery\u00a0<\/span>items but<\/span>\u00a0can\u2019t afford<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>or don\u2019t need\u00a0<\/span>to have customers\u00a0<\/span>on-site. They also allow for one company to\u00a0<\/span>operate multiple brands out of one space, satisfying\u00a0<\/span>various<\/span>\u00a0culinary nee<\/span>ds in one area<\/span>. The wide\u00a0<\/span>variety of\u00a0<\/span>opportunities offered by ghost kitchens is why\u00a0<\/span>Eater<\/span><\/a>\u00a0suggests that\u00a0<\/span>the industry could be wor<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0$1 billion by 2030.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2021 Hospitality Trends \u2013 LGC\u2019s What to Watch: <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hiring for Soft Skills<\/span><\/b> Managers who are<\/span>\u00a0looking to rehire and rebuild teams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>should be\u00a0<\/span>seeking out candidates who have great soft skills; as in, the personality and character traits that make us who we are. Some examples of soft skills include\u00a0<\/span>great leader, effective communicator,\u00a0<\/span>or<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>exceptional\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>time management. In comparison, hard skills are the technical abilities we possess that make us good at our specific jobs<\/span>, like certifications or trainings.\u00a0<\/span>Whereas hard skills can be learned, soft skills typically cannot.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n By i<\/span>nvesting in a candidate with the right soft skills<\/span>, you\u2019ll be able to identify the employees who will be able to make it through tough times. For example, if you\u2019re a restaurant who is operating with a smaller team, you\u2019ll be seeking candidates who\u00a0<\/span>can multi-task, are accepting of changes, and are\u00a0<\/span>re<\/span>silient<\/span><\/a>\u00a0amidst adversity \u2013\u2013 these are all soft skills.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2021 Hospitality Trends \u2013 LGC\u2019s What to Watch: <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Outspoken\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Empresa\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Culture<\/span><\/b> According to a 2019 s<\/span>urvey<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0\u201cA major consideration for brand purchase is now \u201cI must be able to trust the brand to do what is right,\u201d at 81 percent.\u201d The report also shows\u00a0<\/span>that \u201c<\/span>53% of consumers agree that every brand has a responsibility to get involved in at least one social issue that does not directly impact its business.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For these reasons,\u00a0<\/span>companies should continue evaluating\u00a0<\/span>when and how they speak out about social justice issues.\u00a0<\/span>To help create a communication plan, check out these tips from\u00a0<\/span>2021 Hospitality Trends<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nQSR \u2013 or quick style restaurants \u2013 is a term\u00a0<\/span>mainly used<\/span>\u00a0to describe fast food\u00a0<\/span>restaurants but<\/span>\u00a0can\u00a0<\/span>also include<\/span>\u00a0any establishment that\u00a0<\/span>prioritizes\u00a0<\/span>swift\u00a0<\/span>service where customers can be in and out with their food.\u00a0<\/span>QSR\u2019s, like McDonald\u2019s or Taco Bell, experienced the least disruption during COVID because their design already allow<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0for minimal\u00a0<\/span>contact<\/span>\u00a0between employees and customers<\/span>, deeming them essential.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nAlthough ghost kitchens have been popping up for a few years, they\u2019ve experienced massive growth due to the\u00a0<\/span>emergence of the\u00a0<\/span>coronavirus.\u00a0<\/span>K<\/span>nown sometimes as a virtual or dark kitchen,\u00a0<\/span>a ghost kitchen\u00a0<\/span>is fully functional\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>set up to create restaurant-quality delivery meals without the need for dine in (or even to-go) business. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nTens of thousands of workers across multiple industries were furloughed, if not\u00a0<\/span>fully\u00a0<\/span>laid off, due to the coronavirus.\u00a0<\/span>In some cases, employees\u00a0<\/span>had to\u00a0<\/span>learn<\/span>\u00a0how to do the job<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0of multiple people in order to keep business afloat, which taught us\u00a0<\/span>how to do our jobs more efficiently, and what skills were needed to accomplish that task. Although \u2018less isn\u2019t always more\u2019, in some cases it had to be.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nIn addition to the pandemic,\u00a0<\/span>2020 has been a year of reflection regarding social\u00a0<\/span>issues<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>More and more companies\u00a0<\/span>have chosen to speak up<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>with many choosing to\u00a0<\/span>voice their opinions about<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>topics<\/span>\u00a0like racism and police brutality.\u00a0<\/span>While t<\/span>his likely stems from\u00a0<\/span>company’s<\/span>\u00a0own beliefs and moral obligations,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s also driven by the consumer<\/span>s demands<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n