Generation Z (today’s teenagers) are already writing their personal ads for future restaurant visits:
Single female seeking restaurant with tech options.
Single male seeking good food and service.
Seeking: an experience to capture, post, and repeat.
At the National Restaurant Association show last month in Chicago, panelists were treated to a panel that discussed what was dubbed “the world’s newest influential decision-maker,” AKA those 80-plus million teens of the next generation.
To Gen Z, backstory matters. This generation wants to know why restaurants do what they do.
Tech matters. They’ve been plugged in for as long as they can remember. They’re into online ratings, ordering from apps, and learning from videos.
Quality matters. They have plenty of time to research and “like” places that give them something to talk about, think about, or have an opinion on.
Panelist Abhijeet Jadhav of Georgia-Pacific Pro Marketing moderated the discussion, which was well attended at the NRA show. Likewise, in another talk by Michael Schaefer from Euromonitor International, predictions about the future of the restaurant industry echoed the Gen Z panel.
More delivery options, automation, and mobile ordering are on the horizon. And, the trend of meal kits delivered to your home is gaining more traction. The future of the hospitality industry is going to see the increased focus on sustainability and ethical food practices. All in all, the foodies will be watching. And posting.
