According to JLL’s Foodservice Trends 2020, technology in the foodservice arena is prominent as ever as we enter the next decade. This is seen maturing in the global delivery market as part of the dining experience. 

“Consumers value the demand for convenience,” said Paulina Herrmann, foodservice Consultant at JLL and lead author of the report. “The convenience of using technology, cashless payments and service to your front door is driving restaurants to innovate and bring the dining experience to the consumer.”

When it comes to global movements, JLL Foodservice Consulting has been working with several brands to expand their markets globally. For many brands, global expansion is a key part of their ‘end game’, especially when they feel their home market is beginning to slow down. An example of a current brand expansion is Wendy’s moving from the U.S. to Australia.

A.I. in foodservice: What if restaurants had an Artificial Intelligence based system? What if you made a reservation online where the AI system asked if you wanted a drink on arrival? What if the customer consented to sharing their geolocation, which enabled the AI to be notified when the guest was nearby? What if that drink was waiting at their table when they sat down? This is one of the many things new technology can do to integrate faster, more efficient customer experiences, removing the “unpleasant” elements (such as waiting for the check) of dining at a restaurant.

 With an eye towards the rest of 2020, JLL foodies around the world, examined the foodservice trends that are leading the way across the Americas, Europe, MENA, and APAC regions.

In the MENA, there are two distinct separations: The Arabian Peninsula whose wealth is helping it become a global destination for high-end brands, and Africa, which has numerous development challenges. However, with a growing middle-class population in Africa, consumer expenditures are expected to rise to USD 2 trillion by 2025. As a result, the region has gained in popularity with international foodservice brands, spurring pockets of food service innovation in areas like Lagos, Cape Town, and Nairobi.  

“In this new decade, we expect these six foodservice industry trends to continue to evolve, which will continue to create a highly competitive landscape,” shared Alexis Marcoux-Varvatsoulis who leads JLL Foodservice Consulting in MENA. “Restaurant growth may be slowing, but technology adoption is speeding up, so it’s up to the operators to innovate and meet the consumers where they are.”