Labour and certification are two key aspects of America’s lucrative out-of-home market. But how is the recovery progressing, and what are the most sought-after products, including those that come from Europe? We asked two top buyers who took part in the last edition of HostMilano.

“We are for the first time starting to see a willingness from owners and developers in the North American market to invest in Kitchen technology that can help with a reduction of labor costs and/or bring an increase in quality, productivity and even energy consumption savings,” says Reiner Zinngrebe of HKG DESIGN. “Something that has been a standard approach in Europe for many years but has never taken hold in the North American market because of higher upfront investment requirements. Unfortunately a lot of European companies/products are not available in the US, Canada or Mexico because they lack the certification that would allow importation.”

“The US is currently experiencing a strong return of demand in restaurants: in most cities the numbers are exceeding by far the pre-pandemic figures of 2019, both in total number of guests and in the average check spend. This, coupled with a severe shortage of skilled and even unskilled labour, is putting a real strain on the industry – and the industry is struggling to find ways to compensate, which is why we are also seeing a mind shift.”

At HostMilano 2021, Zinngrebe found many interesting new products: “I personally liked the things that provide solutions to either quality, lack of skilled labour or speed of production. In that area I saw a fantastic pizza dough stretching machine that was able to emulate a Neapolitan hand, stretching the dough in less than a minute. So it was just a pity that so many products are unavailable in the USA, Canada and Mexico because there isn’t the certification that would allow them to be imported onto the American market.”

Jeremy Mottola of The Watch Hill Group identifies organic products and the use of different materials and textures in tabletop products.

“The market has come back with a vengeance. I am as busy as I’ve ever been. It is still a daily matter of supply and logistics but the demand is clearly there. We will still see an eclectic mix of products, at least in the short term. More often than not that is because customers need a product and sometimes are forced to take what they can, when they can. This is particularly prevalent in the categories of Tabletop and Furniture.”

As for the return to the out-of-home market: “Busy, outdoor summer dining is upon us. Streets are still being blocked off for pedestrian traffic and dining. Many of these types of practices during Covid are being extended. The particular situation in the north end neighbourhood of Boston is being well documented and similar circumstances are common throughout the US.”

Mottola comes to HostMilano in search of furnishings and higher-end, Italian-designed tabletop products. “We are looking for innovation in general. HoReCa desperately needs this.”