OK so lets be real – launching a restaurant is really the easy part of our job. I mean, everyone wants to hear about what’s new and what’s hot. We plan creative and fun grand opening extravaganzas while getting all the “right” people in town to attend, we seed invites to all of the influencers who will talk, talk, talk and coordinate with food writers who are all ready to review the latest and greatest.
The work behind a truly successful PR campaign really begins once the buzz dies down and we need to find creative ways to keep our clients in the news well past the grand opening hoopla. This is where we have to pay close attention to what reporters are interested in, what the trends are, and determine how we can loop our clients into them – or demonstrate that they are setting them. We subscribe to and review countless food trade publications on a monthly basis, combing the pages looking for new food trends that will keep our pitches current and intrigue editors to write about our clients. So what are those trends or “nuggets” that are on media’s mind these days? Read on my friends….
2009 brought more table talk about the struggling economy, dining out on the cheap and happy hours where people were practically giving drinks away.
Consumers throughout 2009 drowned their economic sorrows with penny martinis, fattening comfort food and the ever-so-popular prix fixe meals – all for under thirty bucks.
Oh how we rejoiced when the National Restaurant Association (NRA) released their 2010 trends. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel, my fellow foodies! Instead of the dreary budget concerns of 2009, things are looking healthier all around and not just from an economic standpoint. The NRA is predicting that consumers, as well as editors, will be making decisions primarily based on health and environment.
Here are some of the top trends to keep in mind when pitching restaurant and food related stories this year that will keep your clients scoring that coveted ink:
1. Locally grown produce, locally produced wine and beer and locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Bite-size/mini desserts
3. Half-portions and a choice of smaller portions for a smaller price
4. Nutritional and creative children’s menus
5. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
6. Cocktails containing superfruits including acai, goji, berry, mangosteen
7. Culinary inspired cocktails
8. Micro-distilled/artisan liquors
9. Non Traditional Fish including Artic char, Branzino, Barramundi
10. Newly Fabricated cuts of meats including Denver steak, pork flatiron, petite tender
What trends are you seeing in the industry?
Happy pitching (and happy eating) to all our fellow foodies!
Jamie
Twitter Comments
OK so lets be real – launching a restaurant is really the easy part of our job. I mean, everyone wants to hear about what’s new and what’s hot. We plan creative and fun grand opening extravaganzas while getting all the “right” people in town to attend, we seed invites to all of the influencers who will talk, talk, talk and coordinate with food writers who are all ready to review the latest and greatest.
