first, why.

While there are a few foodies among our ranks at PDT, sampling new goodies is not why we prioritized a visit to the National Restaurant Show this year. We attend many events each year that directly relate to the work we’re doing for current clients; from medical equipment to aerospace solutions, consumer goods to industrial equipment. We’ve had the privilege of collaborating with clients to bring new cooking and food prep products to market, too. But the real motive behind our attendance is to get a sense of cultural cues around food. What is influencing change in something so core to our survival and something so tied to our entertainment and pleasure? What are consumers demanding, what are they accepting and what are they buying? All of these things can then ultimately translate into insightful integration into innovations in any industry.

One of our stand-out observations and a point of curiosity was the juxtaposition of the Farm-to-Table and organic, “real food” movement with the technological influence on “printable” edibles at the show. Do the same consumers want organic produce served at a restaurant with sustainable processes in place AND a cup of coffee adorned with their baby’s face in foam? Who are these people, how are they segmented and is there overlap?

If there was any doubt that convenience is a driving factor in today’s purchase behavior, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods certainly erases any questions. Time is one of the most precious resources to today’s consumer, and if anything taps too aggressively into that resource, its value seems to decrease. Whether delivery right to the door or accessibility to what’s needed when it’s needed and always being “open for business”, people want what they want- and they want it now.

Our phones give us access to individually personalized tools that are literally at our fingertips at all times. When it comes to getting exactly what we want, it’s becoming an expectation rather than a delighter. Food is no exception. How that customization is delivered- whether through the design of the experience on location or the interaction on a machine’s user interface, generic encounters will fail.