The top restaurant trends of 2023

The Future.  As the dining industry recovers from the pandemic, restaurants are finding creative ways to manage rising costs and labor shortages amid high demand. One such solution is the emerging trend of “chaos cooking,” which involves creating visually appealing dishes with global flavors. These video-friendly meals not only satisfy diners’ cravings for novelty but also lend themselves well to sharing on TikTok. Despite its growing popularity, the trend may not be enough to solve the industry’s underlying issues.

Absolute chaos
According to Axios, the restaurant scene in 2023 is expected to see an eclectic array of bold, diverse flavors.

• One new trend is “chaos cooking,” which Eater describes as “part neo-fusion, part middle finger.” It involves blending various cultural influences and unexpected flavor combinations — like sashimi tostadas and tandoori spaghetti.
• This brash cooking style is part of a larger trend called “flavor tourism,” where diners seek out unique global flavors to expand their palate, per the National Restaurant Association.
• Other culinary themes predicted to go viral this year include Latin American cuisine, non-alcoholic booze, tinned fish, plant-based pasta, CBD desserts, and interactive forms of dining.

While not all predicted trends will achieve viral fame in 2023, some will, thanks to TikTok. The popular app has become a make-or-break platform for restaurants looking to showcase their creations and generate new business.

Feed me
ICYMI, TikTok is “rapidly supplanting Instagram and Facebook as the go-to social platform for people deciding where to eat,” per Axios. And the reason is simple: diners want more interactive experiences that can be shared with friends IRL and online. In other words, on TikTok.

But it’s not just Big Social that TikTok is disrupting. It’s also quietly competing with search engines when it comes to discovering new places to eat, making it a “marketing channel that restaurants can’t ignore,” according to BentoBox.

Let the food arms race begin.