The Next Big Business

Y

yochannontzvi

Just curious as to what you all think will be the next big take off industry for food. Hot sauce already seems to be doing pretty well, but, I think it will stay lucrative forever. Spicy definitely seems here to stay, though. I think Middle Eastern food will be the next big thing. Anyone got any other ideas?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Newman's and Frontera hardly represent the craft sauces. That's like saying Sam Adams. I don't think it's "getting there." All of these craft beers have taken over and outshine the Buds and Millers. And Sams. I can literally walk 5 minutes and pick up a beer JHP or Grant just told me about. But Lucky Dog Hot Sauce, no. But it should be, it is comparable. Hot sauce is currently a boutique industry, meaning, it is in specialty stores yes, but not the grocery chains or markets.

What hot sauce needs is a good distributor that fights to get good sauces in the chain markets and rotates them. That's exactly how craft beer works. They rotate new beers and keep popular sellers. I don't think there is a distributor for hot sauce like this out there. Hot Shots stocks mostly online hot sauce malls. This could be a good biz for someone. Why doesn't a beer distributor take this on? They have all the connections. Seems lucrative. 
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The BBQ ship has sailed; market saturation all over.  Same with QSR burgers - shake shack/meatheads/5 guys/etc plus many bars with bigass 'craft' burgers.  
 
Ramen & Pho are getting a lot of push in Chicago.  Middle Eastern is big but there's 'authentic' and there's 'falafel/hummus/jerusalem salad' set.  Sadly the hummus crew is winning by a large margin.  Organic/cold press juice bars are gaining traction too.  Bulgogi craze seems about over.  
 
Depending on where you're at the farm to table thing is set to grow imo - people are only getting more and more knowledgeable about what they're eating.  Also think there's always room for great tacos and I've seen a large increase in breakfast/lunch only joints.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
SmokenFire said:
The BBQ ship has sailed; market saturation all over.  Same with QSR burgers - shake shack/meatheads/5 guys/etc plus many bars with bigass 'craft' burgers.
Click to expand...
Both of these have been around forever but BBQ finally got into major markets with real BBQ. NYC used to have Virgil's in Times Square and that was it. And damn they have some good hush puppies with maple butter lol. Then we got Dinosaur which topped it, then this, then that, a few ledendary pitmasters moving here to open places, and it grew, but the quality also grew. NO chains! We are not saturated. With saturation you get chains and/or quality loss. There's still only a handful of joints, but that's perfect. That's the way the market should grow. Individually owned BBQ joints with real deal que.
 
I would not call it the next big thing though because it's been around forever. Why do you think McD's has the McRib, and serves BBQ sauce with McNuggets? And BBQ potato chips are one of the most popular flavors? Because Americans love BBQ. And always will. There will always be $ in BBQ as long as you know what you're doing. You deliver a quality product, or you cater to the masses with crapola. Pick one.
 
But if the market you live in has some good que you are lucky. As that is a newer thing. And here, we have some of the best in country. Try saying that 10 years ago!
 
As for the burger chains, not my thing. Don't eat at any of them never even tried Shake Shack. I like my homemade, or pub burger. ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Famous Dave's and Sweet Baby Ray's are all over out here. :(  Also most midwesterners I know still prefer a 'fall off the bone' type wet sauced rib.  Dry rubbed ribs are hard to find in these parts.  Best BBQ joints in Chicago - Smoque, (ribs/brisket) Honkey Tonk BBQ (pulled pork) and probably Honey 1 (hot links).
 
I tried 5 Guys for the first time a week ago.  Burger + Fries (no drink) out the door was $11.79.  Not bad, but higher end for sure and not as good as Culver's or Steak & Shake which are far cheaper.  Cajun fries were good and large portion (and should have been for $2.99) but overall just meh.  Prefer my patty melts anyday.  ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Yeah. The BBQ market as far as mass crap has been saturated a long time. The real deal not, so I think we both agree. They are two different animals, but hard to convince some people of the difference, so it can be cloudy. I mean, people will actually order "BBQ chicken" at a diner soooooooooo... lol!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The Hot Pepper said:
 NYC used to have Virgil's in Times Square and that was it. And damn they have some good hush puppies with maple butter lol. .
 
Click to expand...
 
I use to live across the street from Virgil's...Haven't been in Times Square in a long while....Is Virgil's gone?? I know the Toys R Us is gone or soon to be gone.... :/  yet, Bubba Gump's thrives....
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It is still there! It's a great place. Even if not the best BBQ, it's the real deal, and it's a fun place. Nice open bar and loft seating around it. Good drinks.

I used bad wording, it is still there. :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The next thing I am seeing is on demand delivery service.  Postmates is making a huge push in the Chicago area and I just heard of another called door dash.  Basically what they are doing is providing delivery for places that have not/don't deliver and or they are replacing existing delivery service in chinese restaurants and pizza places.  Postmates has like 300 bike/car messengers on duty at any given time and you order whatever you want - pizza/groceries/pampers/condoms/etc (seriously!) - pay through the phone app and then one of their people goes, picks it up and takes it to you.  Kinda the uber of delivery services.  Costs are passed on to the customers (20% of ticket or $5 which ever is greater depending on distance), so restaurants don't have to hire/fire/schedule delivery drivers.  Seems to be a win. 
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I enjoy this thread and all the commentary. I agree that there is still so much room for growth in the BBQ restaurant business. There are great joints sprinkled around the country, but is there one in your town? Not mine. As far as hot sauce and craft beer, I have thought for years that they go together for lots of people. I mean, there is a lot of crossover there. Seems a lot of the people that like one, also like the other. That said, there is nowhere near the potential in hot sauce that there is in craft beer for one simple reason. The potential customer base is so much smaller. How many people eat hot sauce? How many drink beer? That said, the potential growth by % is probably higher for hot sauce. I also disagree that there are many more hot sauce choices in my supermarkets today than 15 years ago. Interesting conversation for sure. To the original poster, I hear that the Korean spicy condiment gochang or something like that is the next big thing in the US.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The Hot Pepper said:
Newman's and Frontera hardly represent the craft sauces. That's like saying Sam Adams.
Click to expand...
 
You point is right, but Sam Adams is craft in actuality, I believe ...
 
Jim Koch is cool as fuck ...
 
I believe Sierra Nevada is as well ...
 
That's just craft at huge volumes.
 
These two are well-known to have left the huge companies money on the table and remain craft ...
 
That doesn't change what you are saying, but let's give Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada points not only for defining the space, but remaining steadfastly dedicated to it through pretty immense success ...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You read it wrong. I did not say it is not craft. I said Sam Adams in the store is like Newman's to salsa. It's the #2 brewery in the nation so if your store has it that in no way means you should expect to see a diverse line of craft beers "coming soon" to that store. Same as in seeing Mrs.Renfro's salsa. This is no way means you should expect to see Lucky Dog any time soon. My point is, these products are not indicators. There are other craft beers that are indicators your store may be stocking more craft, but um no, not Sam Adams lol. 

PS. If it wasn't craft my comparison would have made no sense. I choose the mainstream of craft to make my point. I have nothing against your precious beer. :). Semantics anyway. Forget the word.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top