Speaker Q&A (2020): Simon Stenning, FutureFoodservice.com

For Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice.com, Casual Dining is a “brilliant melting pot of ideas, innovations and insight”. He’ll be back at the show on opening day (10.15am, 25 March) sharing exclusive new research from his Future of Foodservice 2030 report: including key drivers of change for casual dining going forward, the most important trends to watch, and the new idea of “Social Refuelling’ driven by technological developments.

“The show is an absolute must attend, as it is the place to see, share, hear and meet all of the most important trends and people leading the way in which consumers eat out, informally.”

Which casual dining operators have most impressed you this year (and why)?

The nature of Casual Dining continued to be challenged through 2019, as further cost pressures and macro-economic conditions made it harder for operators. Not least as these also led their consumers to be more cautious.

So, the recurring theme from the past few years has been to contemporise, to continue working hard to attract and retain loyalty from consumers by delivering an experience, which can’t be replicated easily at home, or by delivering something new and different.

Winners in this regard continue to be Azzurri Group, who have continuously improved the offer at ASK and Zizzi, making it always relevant and appealing. Other winners include Mowgli for making a known proposition (Indian cuisine) more appealing and contemporary, and creating a loyal base of Mowglites.

The refurbished Bill’s offer also caused consumers to re-ignite their love for the brand and its wide appeal across generations led to significant success in the year.

Winners also included wagamama for their work on building delivery sales, reaching £1m of delivery revenue in one week, during September, and for their development of food-to-go concept Mamago, and of course the big ship Nando’s continues to do what it does so well, and be inoffensive to everyone, growing along the way.

Emerging brands like Franco Manca and Honest Burgers also stand out and are set to continue their progression, but it’s not just young brands that do well: Bistrot Pierre has had the same format for c.20 years and is still performing well, with the same leaders involved, and Vietnamese brand Pho also stands out as a long-running brand under the same leadership.

What do you see as the key casual dining industry trends for 2020?

I believe the casual dining market at the end of 2019 is the new norm going into 2020; trading is still going to be difficult until consumer confidence moves into positive territory and the economy picks up. But there are still Brexit challenges ahead – we are only at the ‘end of the beginning’. Contemporisation is going to be key, as is the harnessing of Technology to make the consumer experience more seamless, which is a challenge for the traditionally analogue aspects of producing and serving food and drink. Emerging services such as Checkfer utilising beacon technology to increase sales and improve the customer experience, will show that technology can be a significant enabler for our industry.

The biggest opportunities are going to be around delivering experiences, whether that be through competitive socialising, market hall/street food socialising, or through distinctive dishes and drinks, remembering that the market is competing against the Sofa, and it takes a lot to drag consumers away from home, delivery services and social engagement through their phones.

The other big opportunity will be to harness the most significant trend of ‘Caring for causes’ — whether that be health and wellbeing, sustainability, or the environment. With 60% of retail consumers buying products based on the ‘purpose’ of the brand, that plays into Foodservice in the same way. Casual dining operators must ensure that they take clear action on provenance, environmental protection, food wastage and packaging reduction.

The rise of food delivery: What do you think are the implications for the casual dining sector?

Delivered Foodservice is only going to continue growing in importance, however the modus operandi will change. As more consumers have access to a wider range of delivery options and services, so they will take more advantage of them, fuelling growth. The danger for casual dining operators however is that this can steal share from their restaurant operations, making them less profitable. So it becomes more important to distinguish between a branded meal delivered to home and a meal experience in a restaurant. This is one of the reasons why I believe we will see further polarisation between service-led, experiential operations, potentially not offering Delivery, and those using technology to deliver ‘Social Refuelling’.

I believe that we will see more ‘virtual brands’ from casual dining operators, creating clear blue water between their restaurant brands and their delivery services, even if they come from the same kitchens. The rise of dark kitchens will continue for the time being, but I believe that we will start to see front-end services added to them, with bars and public seating areas etc.

Can you tell us a bit about your much-anticipated session at Casual Dining 2020?

From the newly released 2020 edition of my report on the Future of Foodservice 2030, I will be updating show visitors on the key drivers of change for casual dining going forward, the most important trends, and the new idea of “Social Refuelling’ driven by technological developments. Visitors will be able to take away a clear vision of the future of casual dining for the next ten years.

How important is the Casual Dining show to the casual dining sector?

The Casual Dining show is a brilliant melting pot of ideas, innovations and insight that brings the industry together; something that other exhibitions sometimes struggle to do. The show is an absolute must attend for all stakeholders across restaurants, pubs and fast food, as it is the place to see, share, hear and meet all of the most important trends and people leading the way in which consumers eat out, informally.