New kinds of restaurants are appearing everywhere, complete with revamped, redesigned menus, and new interior layouts. We asked the Host Ambassadors, HostMilano’s “antennae” in various parts of the world, how they see the hospitality industry of the future. They had some very interesting things to say in reply. First of all it is clear that there is a huge pent-up demand among consumers, who undoubtedly cannot wait to start eating out again, although their needs have changed to some extent – although in not quite as revolutionary a way as was the case last year.

I don't think that much of the general public will be so wary of dining again and require extreme sanitation,” says Ayngelina Brogan from Canada, “but restaurants will need to look to minimize risk by lowering labour and food costs, which may result in smaller menus, as well as diversifying offerings beyond the dining-room experience, whether that be with takeout, meal kits, catering, or opening a type of small food shop in the space.”

What type of cuisine will respond best to customers’ requirements? Sustainable solutions or tempting traditional dishes? Monika Briedrzycka, writing from Poland, believes that “Healthy, plant-based cooking is here to stay for sure. Comfort food is the favourite type for the immediate future, but with so many restaurants opting for traditional flavours for deliveries, I expect customers will want to try fresh flavours beyond traditional Polish dishes. I also expect that those restaurants which spent lockdown trying to rediscover themselves and are now starting to present more evolved menus will be the winners. And also those that keep customers’ budgets in mind, especially considering that some restaurants will be raising prices to make up for the losses of earlier months.”

Jocelyn Chen in China mentions plant-based meat substitutes. “The Michelin Guide has already added various sustainability criteria to their evaluations and are actively promoting the use and acceptance of these new ingredients, whilst at the same time encouraging chefs to become more accepting of the use and taste of plant-based meat. The biggest obstacle to its promotion on the Asian market is, quite simply, the price.”

According to Rosa Moraes in Brazil: “After a year of social distancing, losses and saudade (that feeling of missing someone or something), food becomes a safe haven, a time for self-care and affection. Indeed I believe that restaurants which manage to imbue their dishes with their soul will thrive: now, more than ever, we need food that touches us and gives us comfort.” And healthy food will attract more attention as well: “More work will be done with organic ingredients, and the cuisine will treasure seasonality and the provenance of what goes into a dish. In countries like Brazil, which have their roots in the wisdom and knowledge of the indigenous population, this movement is very intense. It’s the wisdom of knowing that everything we need to feed ourselves can be found in nature. Functional and integrative medicine interacts strongly with this kind of nutrition as well, with ingredients that clean and fortify our body. Therefore I wouldn’t say healthy food is the trend, but rather food that looks into our health in a wider way. For this reason, the main investment a restaurant should be making is in training.”