Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/769179
When you go deep in vegetable-centric cooking, it's so good that it's almost as if it just so happens to be vegan or vegetarian. It's just a great dish. It's not about leaving out ingredi- ents. It also shows the creativity of the chefs, how they invent these great dishes. At a certain level everyone can make a great roast chicken. The last 10 years have been marked by restaurants embracing soft- ware to manage the backend. Do you see technology playing a role in changing how we eat out over the next 10 years? I do. I see technology driving dining experiences, with people using it to create more per- sonalization in their experience and to avoid personal interaction. Maybe more advance ordering, which we're trialing with OpenTable. People may choose to sign up for a three- course prix-fixe on a Thursday night; of course, they can still change their order—we always want to preserve diner choice—but it helps the restaurateur understand what's happening in the kitchen that night. New Maman restaurant in New York is personal, but you can also dine there without interacting with people that much. Could we see the return of the old automat, where people, like my parents, were going up to machines and getting sandwiches? That's a real possibility. I work in the Flatiron District and between noon and two o'clock it's almost impossible to get lunch in any speedy way. There is a huge demand for quality food, especially at lunch and breakfast that is quick or even automated, without sacrificing qual- ity. There is a real opportunity for technology to take this further. It's very exciting. Robin Pforr Ryan is an Albany, New York-based journalist and speechwriter with a background in newspapers and law. Connect with industry peers, ask questions, and gain insight in the SFA's online community, the Solution Center! Solution Center members have access to: Log into community.specialtyfood.com and see what the forums have to offer. Questions? Send us an email at community@specialtyfood.com. • The Q&A Forum • The SFA Blog • User Directory • Announcements Board 48 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com