San Francisco-HQ’d agency af&co. and their sister agency, Carbonate, released their annual Hospitality Trends Report, which highlights the latest in food and beverage, plus what is expected in the year to come. Check out just a few takeaways below, and read the full report here.
Food trend of the year: Cross-cultural cooking
Little Bull
American food is a multi-ethnic melting pot and today's restaurants are a reflection of that. Instead of hanging their hat on a slice of regional cooking, chefs in 2023 are rejecting the rigid idea of authenticity in exchange for something more reflective of the contemporary and diverse American experience, offering new combinations and menus that can't be easily labeled or contained.
Cuisine of the year: Korean
Atomix
From K-pop and kimchi, to the Oscar-winning Parasite, and the popular TV series Squid Game—Korean culture is exploding in the US, as are the number of Korean restaurants representing all facets of the cuisine: fast-food fried chicken, communal DIY barbecue, craveable flaming cheese-topped hot pots, high-end steakhouses, casual bakeries, and luxurious fine dining. You can find it all, and you can find people of all types digging in.
Drink of the year: Caprese martini
Rollati (San Jose, CA) features an Heirloom Martini with olive oil-washed vodka, clarified heirloom tomato, basil, and white balsamic.
In the past few years, cocktails have gone from sweet to savory, from bitter to briny. Now, bartenders are making drinks with ingredients more often found on a plate. Enter the culinary cocktail. While some of these savory libations are whimsical—even downright wacky—the Caprese Martini is thoughtfully balanced, offering the bright flavors of tomato and basil, as if a martini went for a stroll through the late-summer vegetable garden.
Trend: Put uni on it
Bar Crenn (San Francisco, CA) Uni Bao offered as part of their ever-changing multi-course tasting menus.
For a luxury seafood indulgence, maximalist, unctuous uni has taken center stage, replacing caviar’s delicate saline pop and elegant restraint. Uni, the edible part of the sea urchin, is not the roe, as some may think (or hope!), but rather the reproductive organ. The custardy golden mass is an attention getter, offering a balance of brine and creamy richness. It can share the plate with caviar, but today, it’s standing on its own, including as an optional upgrade to all sorts of culinary creations.
Trend: Coffee gets the cocktail treatment
Onyx Coffee Lab (Bentonville, AR) Cold Fashioned with Monarch Extraction, Kentucky 74 NA Whiskey, bitters, caramel, and a cherry.
Coffee is getting the cocktail treatment—and we’re not talking about espresso martinis. (Yes, we know they’re everywhere!) Top bartenders are joining the best baristas, opening their own coffee shops or being hired by hotels and coffee shops to design their drink programs, enhancing menus with sophisticated coffee concoctions not found anywhere else.
Trend: Split personalities
The Thompson (left) and Tommie (right) (Austin, TX)
Two hotels, two identities, two price points, but one building, and one elevator bank. Different design and very different entrances. At the Tommie, the entrance is a casual coffee shop with self check-in. The Thompson has an expansive luxe lobby with fireplace and check-in area. But they share the building, pool, and a few restaurants, as well as construction costs, labor and other efficiencies while serving different markets and offering different experiences.
Trend: A warm welcome
Nubeluz
A common look prevails creating a warm, polished and elegant atmosphere with Pink, Peacock, Bronze, Gold, and Velvet
Trend: Pop culture collabs
Jeni’s Ice Cream with Olivia Rodrigo
Jeni’s (multiple locations nationwide) introduced the Olivia Rodrigo Cone Takeover with purple Buttercrisp Waffle Cones in honor of Rodriguez’s GUTS album. Jeni’s also hosted GUTS listening parties at select scoop shops across the country.
