Restaurant owners of today have to worry not just about consistent service and good food. They are also looking for ways to better use technology.
They are dealing with customers who are more aware of healthy eating and sustainable foods, and they want to keep their employees longer and happier.
Mia Littlejohn is co-founder of Proof Bar and Incubator, a food and beverage resource center with a shared kitchen, restaurant incubator and craft cocktail bar. Littlejohn said Chattanooga restaurant owners are following some of the national trends found in a recent survey by marketresearch.com, but are also dealing with local issues.
For an industry that took a heavy hit during the pandemic, the good news for many of those who managed to survive is that the global market is primed for growth. While that growth in some larger markets could be in online ordering – especially from so-called “ghost” restaurants that don’t have storefronts – Littlejohn said it appears Chattanoogans are ready to get out of the house and dine in elsewhere.
“This rise in popularity in online ordering and delivery, I see that more in large markets,” she said. “People here still want to gather. It will be interesting over the next few years to see if something like the ghost kitchens take off here, but you need a lot of tech support with that. You don’t need front-of-house [service], but you need tech.