The USA is one of the main protagonists of the global foodservice market. According to Statista, quick service restaurants (or QSRs), which have increased in number by over 50% since 2007, recorded an all-time high in 2020 with revenues of around 283 billion dollars, while catering activities where table service is included recorded a similar growth and reached a total of over 80 billion dollars in 2020.

We asked these two American players, who were present at HostMilano, what the current trends are.

Menu trends in the USA have seen “fabrication of food products that generate a more ‘farm-to-table’ approach. Craft cocktails have taken the country by storm as well,” says Joe Flaherty, senior vice president of Mercer Culinary. The home market is very strong in North America, and with rising costs due to inflation we expect the trend to continue.”

What will you be presenting to the European market at the next edition of HostMilano? “Barfly Mixology Gear, which continues to be the leader in the world when it comes to selection and high-end bartender gear.”

“In the out-of-home coffee market, there is a trend towards automation. This is applied across the sector to improve beverage taste and consistency, support and supplement a tight labour market, and reduce waste and environmental impact,” says Isaac Cohen, vice president (marketing–commercial–purpose-built brands) at Urnex. There is the widespread appeal of such technologies – in coffee and milk preparation and cleaning – and significant runway for adoption across cafes, restaurants and convenience stores.”

As for the keenly-awaited return to out-of-home consumption, it should be remembered that “while Covid has impacted how and where people are consuming food and beverages, there remains high demand for coffee that is prepared by professionals, an experience that is nearly impossible to recreate at home. This summer, cafes are likely to highlight ‘signature beverages’ that use cold coffee and tea as bases, with a variety of added sweet and tropical ingredients. These seasonal treats are tasty, refreshing and fun…and exactly what most consumers are looking for right now.”

As for exports, “the Urnex business has always been balanced across cleaning applications – milk, coffee, water – and equipment: superautomatics, traditional espresso machines, filter coffee brewers and grinders. We continue to see export demand for a healthy mix of our products addressing the cleaning needs of these machines.”