Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Younger consumers embrace foodie culture, but with a degree of ambiguity
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- Figure 1: “I consider myself a foodie” statement agreement, by age, June 2017
- iGens lean toward casual, shareable dishes compared to traditional entrées
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- Figure 2: Interest in menu item, any dining occasion, by generation, June 2017
- The opportunities
- Sandwiches offer mainstream appeal on the menu
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- Figure 3: Interest in sandwiches, any dining occasion, by foodies and non-foodies, June 2017
- Consumers overwhelmingly dine out for international cuisine
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- Figure 4: Cooking at home versus dining out, by cuisine type, June 2017
- The foodie mentality goes beyond urban settings
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- Figure 5: “I consider myself a foodie” statement agreement, by living location, June 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Meal kits aim to get consumers in the kitchen
- Families value eating together
- Generational differences impact where consumers dine out
Market Perspective
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- Meal kits struggle to maintain relevancy
- Retail is no longer just about the home kitchen
Market Factors
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- Generational divides impact where consumers are dining
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- Figure 6: Restaurant visitation, by generations, March 2017
- Understanding the single diner
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- Figure 7: Estimated median age at first marriage, 2006-16
- Figure 8: Use of any dating app in the past 12 months, December 2016
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- Figure 9: Dining at a gourmet restaurant in the past 12 months, December 2016
- Understanding the family diner
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- Figure 10: Time on family activities, dining out, October 2016
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- Figure 11: Family dining habits, October 2016
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- Figure 12: Foodie statement agreement, “I expose my children to food that’s not on the kids’ menu,” June 2017
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Mocktails get new life at bars and restaurants
- Hotel restaurants get an upgrade
- Comfort food finds its niche in a social media world
Trend: All-Day Dining
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- Today
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- Figure 13: Menu mentions for types of menus, Q2 2016-Q2 2017
- The path forward
Trend: Mocktails on the Menu
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- Today
- The path forward
Trend: Menu Partnerships
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- Today
- The path forward
Trend: Upscale Food, Low-Key Atmosphere
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- Today
- The path forward
Trend: Food with a Story
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- Today
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- Figure 14: Growth of menu and ingredient claims, Q2 2016-Q2 2017
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- Figure 15: Growth of menu claims, Q2 2016–Q2 2017
- The path forward
Trend: Comfort Food – A Balance Between Modern and Authentic
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- Today
- The path forward
Trend: A Craving for Health
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- Today
- The path forward
Restaurant Concepts to Watch
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- Pop-up restaurants 2.0
- A flavorful, but familiar, approach to Indian cuisine
- Upgraded hotel restaurants
- Brewpubs and breweries
- Food halls: The 2017 version of mall food courts
MMI Analysis: Flavor Matrix 2017
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- Most menued food preparation techniques and flavors
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- Figure 16: Top 20 menued food preparation methods, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
- Figure 17: Top 40 growing food preparation methods on the menu, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
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- Figure 18: Top 20 menued food flavors, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
- Figure 19: Top 40 growing food flavors on the menu, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
- Most menued flavors for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
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- Figure 20: Flavor matrix, top 10 non-alcoholic beverage flavors on the menu, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
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- Figure 21: Top 20 growing non-alcoholic beverage flavors on the menu, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
- Figure 22: Flavor matrix, top 10 alcoholic beverage flavors on the menu, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
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- Figure 23: Top 20 growing alcoholic beverage flavors on the menu, Q2 2015 – Q2 2017
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Foodie culture is not cut and dry
- Consumers want grilled food, but fried food remains a menu fixture
- Friends and family remain key sources of introduction to new flavors
Menu Interest by Dining Occasion
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- Entrées maintain relevancy for dinner
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- Figure 24: Correspondence analysis – Interest in menu items by dining occasion, June 2017
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- Figure 25: Interest in appetizer/small plates by dining occasion, June 2017
- A snack or a shareable dinner?
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- Figure 26: Not dining out, by dining occasion, June 2017
- iGens go casual with meal choices
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- Figure 27: Interest in menu item, any dining occasion, by generation, June 2017
- Sandwiches are a foodie canvas
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- Figure 28: Interest in menu items, any dining occasion, by Hispanic Millennials and Hispanic non-Millennials and foodies and non-foodies, June 2017
The Foodie Mentality
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- Foodie versus food snob
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- Figure 29: “I consider myself a foodie” statement agreement, June 2017
- Social media drives foodie behavior for younger consumers
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- Figure 30: “I consider myself a foodie” statement agreement, by age, June 2017
- Urban and rural foodies find common ground
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- Figure 31: “I consider myself a foodie” statement agreement, by living location, June 2017
- Hispanics’ love for food drives a foodie mentality
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- Figure 32: “I consider myself a foodie” statement agreement, by race, June 2017
Dining Habits of a Foodie
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- Foodies eat fast food too
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- Figure 33: Foodie statement agreement, June 2017
- Men and women share different foodie mentalities
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- Figure 34: Foodie statement agreement, by age and gender, June 2017
- Older and suburban consumers associate foodie behavior from a traditional point of view
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- Figure 35: Foodie statement agreement, by age, June 2017
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- Figure 36: Foodie statement agreement, by urban city and small town living locations, June 2017
Cooking at Home versus Dining Out
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- Italian, Mexican, Chinese are leaders in international cuisine consumption
- A deeper look into Mediterranean cuisine …
- A deeper look into Asian cuisine …
- A deeper look into Hispanic/Mexican cuisine …
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- Figure 37: Cooking at home versus dining out, by cuisine type, any consumption, June 2017
- Chinese remains a takeout meal
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- Figure 38: Cooking at home versus dining out, by cuisine type, June 2017
- Indian and Chinese are most likely to be prepared at home by Asian consumers
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- Figure 39: Cooking Asian cuisine at home versus dining out, by Asian consumers, June 2017
- Hispanics value time around the table
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- Figure 40: Cooking Hispanic cuisine at home versus dining out, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2017
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
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- Consumers want “refreshment” in their refreshments
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- Figure 41: Non-alcoholic beverage flavor interest, June 2017
- Women lean toward natural and fruit-forward beverages
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- Figure 42: Non-alcoholic beverage flavor interest, by gender, June 2017
- Herbal notes hit a sweet spot with younger consumers
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- Figure 43: Non-alcoholic beverage flavor interest, by generations, June 2017
Food Preparation Interest
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- Grilled leads in food preparation interest, but don’t count fried food out
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- Figure 44: Interest in food preparation, by foodies and non-foodies, June 2017
- iGens favor indulgent food preparation methods
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- Figure 45: Interest in food preparation, by generation, June 2017
- Asian cuisine consumption drives interest for pickled and fermented preparation
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- Figure 46: Cuisine consumption at a restaurant, by interest in food preparation, June 2017
Flavor Trial Motivators
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- Traditional word of mouth and detailed flavor descriptions go hand in hand
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- Figure 47: Flavor trial motivators, June 2017
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- Figure 48: Flavor trial motivators, by gender, June 2017
- Young women value customization
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- Figure 49: Food trial motivators, by gender and age, June 2017
- Black consumers value familiar dishes the way they are
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- Figure 50: Food trial motivators, by race, June 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Correspondence Analysis
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- Methodology
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