Appealing to the younger crowd of Generation Z diners is a goal that restaurants are constantly striving to reach. After all, with millennials being the most active users on Instagram, where they often share their dining experiences, restaurants would do well to target younger audiences in hopes of increasing their profits.
Generation Z diners have adopted green thinking, so while they love a pretty, decadent meal, they also dine at restaurants that focus on farm-to-table practices. Farm-to-table cuisine puts the focus on sourcing fresh, locally grown ingredients. Sustainability is also important to the Generation Z diner, which is why locally sourced ingredients are so important.
During farm-to-table dining, emphasis is placed upon honouring the food consumed and understanding its origin. This makes eating less about eating just to eat, and more about the overall experience of nourishing your body with fresh foods that will make your body feel good. When this appreciation is placed on food, importance is also placed on eliminating or lowering food waste.
One of the simplest ways restaurants can lower food waste is through proper food labelling methods. By using dissolving labels as opposed to the tired tape and marker method, restaurants will adopt not only an accurate and robust labelling system, but one that also promotes sustainability and thus appeals to the Generation Z diner. Labels should clearly state what food was prepared, when the food was opened, when it was prepped, its temperature when it was put in the cooler (specifically if it was a food that was heated and cooked) and the expiration date. Organised, detailed labels promote accuracy, prevent confusion and help eliminate food waste.
By adopting green thinking in the kitchen, from promoting sustainability to eliminating food waste, restaurants will attract an audience that emphasises those same values.