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?
The Next Big Business
- Thread starter yochannontzvi
- Start date
As awesome as BBQ is, I think it only really has big potential overseas at this point. Not that a good BBQ company doesn't have potential to find business in the US, but, it's already been done. All Americans know what BBQ is. Overseas, however, they do not. They have no idea what BBQ is and think it means throwing burgers on a grill. That's not BBQ. That's grilling. American BBQ is way better than the South African kind, which has the reputation amongst Europeans and other Anglos as good BBQ... It's good, but, it isn't like it is in the States.
As for Middle Eastern food, it's going to get bigger for sure. I'm surprised it didn't pick up earlier with so much US intervention in the region. I would have thought that'd of made it more popular by now. That's how pizza became big. After soldiers came back from Italy, they popularized pizza in the States. Maybe warfare is just different these days?
As for Middle Eastern food, it's going to get bigger for sure. I'm surprised it didn't pick up earlier with so much US intervention in the region. I would have thought that'd of made it more popular by now. That's how pizza became big. After soldiers came back from Italy, they popularized pizza in the States. Maybe warfare is just different these days?
Some know what real BBQ is but with all the shows and food trucks spinning up and numerous new restaurants...just my opinion that it is growing very fast as are tacos adventures.
As for Middle Eastern, I think it will always remain small in the US except in areas where immigrants have large populations.
You just reminded, time to put some homemade hummus on naan
As for Middle Eastern, I think it will always remain small in the US except in areas where immigrants have large populations.
You just reminded, time to put some homemade hummus on naan
I hear what you're saying. But, hummus sales have gone up fantastically in recent years. It's definitely competing with hot sauce. Seeing as you have a growing popularity with hot sauce and spicy foods due to a large increase in the Hispanic population, it's pretty impressive that there has been such a large popularity in ME cuisine since there just aren't that many Middle Easterners in the States... I suspect a big part of it has to do with the more "progressive" younger folk (i.e. millennials) wanting to be more "cultured" by tasting things from all over. I haven't looked at the statisticts, but, I get the feeling that ME food could out perform most of the other cuisines in proportion to the people who actually brought said ethnic foods over.
Whatever the case may be, I take the increase in hummus sales to be a good sign for an upcoming food trend. BBQ sauce has been around for a long time with Americans... Which is also interesting why it's making such a surge in popularity. But, BBQ sauce is something less than 300 million a year. Hummus, on the other hand, which is relatively new to America, is around 700 million a year. That's pretty impressive considering 20 years ago most people here had probably never even heard of it. It's reasonable to say, if the most staple condiment/spread of a cuisine has that much growth in market, so too should the cuisine itself in due time.
Whatever the case may be, I take the increase in hummus sales to be a good sign for an upcoming food trend. BBQ sauce has been around for a long time with Americans... Which is also interesting why it's making such a surge in popularity. But, BBQ sauce is something less than 300 million a year. Hummus, on the other hand, which is relatively new to America, is around 700 million a year. That's pretty impressive considering 20 years ago most people here had probably never even heard of it. It's reasonable to say, if the most staple condiment/spread of a cuisine has that much growth in market, so too should the cuisine itself in due time.
Hummus is popular due to the large SHEEP movement and by that I mean few leaders and all followers. Store bought hummus is pure crap as is buying BBQ sauce from most stores. I understand your points and will move along now.
Restaurants or retail? There is no "hot sauce" restaurant, but hey not a bad idea.
Retail BBQ is already huge, consumers have been buying up Kraft, KC Masterpiece, and Sweet Baby Ray's (as of late) for years!!! It is way bigger than hot sauce commercially. Hot sauce is still niche except for a few very popular brands and that never seems to grow. Going down the aisle in the supermarket is the same as it was 15 years ago. Hot sauce is a boutique industry. Sure, it has exploded, but not to the level of say craft beer. Craft beer is mainstream, and you can get your favorite at the supermarket. Hot sauce? "Let's go see what new flavor Tabasco has." The craft beer industry is where to put your $. The best beers are all marketed by word of mouth but are usually available at your local store. No multi-million dollar commercials, but still, you know about the good stuff and can buy it in 5 min. Hot sauce? Much harder. You have to buy it online or at the farmers market. Hot sauce needs to take off like craft beer. No commercials, no selling out, but available in the mainstream.
As for restaurants, yes, BBQ is huge. It is no longer a southern food, and is respected among top chefs whereas before it was not. Chefs are becoming pitmasters, and pitmasters are moving to new cities to open joints. It is exploding. JHP is correct. You will probably see a chain pop up similar to Chipotle in the future. Not saying that is a good thing, but it is definitely gaining a lot of ground. When you see lines around corners and 3-hour waits, some see this as "This place must be the best." Others see this as "We need to open a place and take half of their line." And the impatient may just step off that line if the food is good enough.
Retail BBQ is already huge, consumers have been buying up Kraft, KC Masterpiece, and Sweet Baby Ray's (as of late) for years!!! It is way bigger than hot sauce commercially. Hot sauce is still niche except for a few very popular brands and that never seems to grow. Going down the aisle in the supermarket is the same as it was 15 years ago. Hot sauce is a boutique industry. Sure, it has exploded, but not to the level of say craft beer. Craft beer is mainstream, and you can get your favorite at the supermarket. Hot sauce? "Let's go see what new flavor Tabasco has." The craft beer industry is where to put your $. The best beers are all marketed by word of mouth but are usually available at your local store. No multi-million dollar commercials, but still, you know about the good stuff and can buy it in 5 min. Hot sauce? Much harder. You have to buy it online or at the farmers market. Hot sauce needs to take off like craft beer. No commercials, no selling out, but available in the mainstream.
As for restaurants, yes, BBQ is huge. It is no longer a southern food, and is respected among top chefs whereas before it was not. Chefs are becoming pitmasters, and pitmasters are moving to new cities to open joints. It is exploding. JHP is correct. You will probably see a chain pop up similar to Chipotle in the future. Not saying that is a good thing, but it is definitely gaining a lot of ground. When you see lines around corners and 3-hour waits, some see this as "This place must be the best." Others see this as "We need to open a place and take half of their line." And the impatient may just step off that line if the food is good enough.
Yes. Store bought hummus is absolute crap. I don't know how people can buy it. Sabra is a terrible bland... And it's unfortunately the best brand on the market. The only thing they make right is matbukha (the tomatoey stuff, I forget what they call in America). I'm just skeptical of BBQ. I love it and all, but, I some how don't think it will last. Maybe I should pay more attention to it. Any links I can read up on it with?
Do you think hot sauce will ever take off like craft beer, though? Craft beer is actually starting to become a thing even in Israel. So is hot sauce, little by little.
Do you think hot sauce will ever take off like craft beer, though? Craft beer is actually starting to become a thing even in Israel. So is hot sauce, little by little.
Sure, I have not read this but let us know what it says lol!
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150806/ISSUE03/150809916/barbecue-its-one-smokin-hot-trend
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150806/ISSUE03/150809916/barbecue-its-one-smokin-hot-trend
It basically says that it's a trend, lol. Seems lucrative. I still don't understand why it's only becoming popular recently. BBQ has been around forever.
yochannontzvi said:
It was never regarded as a true cuisine, more of a roadside food stop, until chefs stated really looking at the process and the art. A place in TX called Franklin's has a lot to do with it
Here in the Pacific NW there are two trends I'm seeing. For the single food item trend, craft cider is really starting to kick in strong. I'm not talking overly sugary stuff like Strongbow or Angry Orchard, but cider made the old school way, often carbonated in the bottle, and from traditional cider apples, instead of juice from last year's leftover eating apples that have been pressed, concentrated and frozen.
As far as restaurants go, farm-to-table restaurants are pretty popular. This takes the whole eat local thing to another level, where restaurants partner with small local farmers and ranchers for 100% of their produce and meats. Some even run their own (very) small farms and raise pork and chickens.
As far as restaurants go, farm-to-table restaurants are pretty popular. This takes the whole eat local thing to another level, where restaurants partner with small local farmers and ranchers for 100% of their produce and meats. Some even run their own (very) small farms and raise pork and chickens.
The Hot Pepper said:
Why, though? BBQ is as much as cuisine as French or Italian. IMO, it's harder to make perfect BBQ than most other cuisines I've had. I guess that movie Deliverance finally lost its cultural impact?
I would also add it has become a huge trend with the amount of smoking devices now available to the consumer, I think this also helps the BBQ push.
3 years ago I could barley find any woods outside mesquite and hickory now I can get roughly 10 types at any given time.
There are at least 3 huge shows on BBQ that help additionally but I am biased on my view hahahah
3 years ago I could barley find any woods outside mesquite and hickory now I can get roughly 10 types at any given time.
There are at least 3 huge shows on BBQ that help additionally but I am biased on my view hahahah
yochannontzvi said:
Trend is a not bad word, things can be trending (and this can grow and grow) or only a trend (good now, bad later).
yochannontzvi said:
Snobbery among peers. Most pitmasters learn in the backyard and are not classically trained.
I say go with a timeless idea and just improve on it.
Like the Twinkie, golden moist cake-like product stuffed with a creamy-ish goo.
Brings a smile to every fat kid who gets one and can weather time longer than a hunk of steel in a junkyard.
Wrap that up in cheap bacon made of mostly fat and deep-fry in a giant vat of lard.
We can call it the "Blinkie" as in - the last thing you do as your heart decides it don't wanna play no more.
Oh wait, carnivals and farm fairs already got that idea,
Gonna have to meditate on the subject a little longer
Like the Twinkie, golden moist cake-like product stuffed with a creamy-ish goo.
Brings a smile to every fat kid who gets one and can weather time longer than a hunk of steel in a junkyard.
Wrap that up in cheap bacon made of mostly fat and deep-fry in a giant vat of lard.
We can call it the "Blinkie" as in - the last thing you do as your heart decides it don't wanna play no more.
Oh wait, carnivals and farm fairs already got that idea,
Gonna have to meditate on the subject a little longer
SPAMHawaiianero said:I say go with a timeless idea and just improve on it.
Like the Twinkie, golden moist cake-like product stuffed with a creamy-ish goo.
Brings a smile to every fat kid who gets one and can weather time longer than a hunk of steel in a junkyard.
Wrap that up in cheap bacon made of mostly fat and deep-fry in a giant vat of lard.
We can call it the "Blinkie" as in - the last thing you do as your heart decides it don't wanna play no more.
Oh wait, carnivals and farm fairs already got that idea,
Gonna have to meditate on the subject a little longer
salsalady
eXtreme Business
^^ 
Definitely room for more SPAM restaurants~
Regarding the amount of artisan hot sauces in grocery stores, I think it's getting there. In the jarred salsa section, I'm seeing a number of regional salsa, in addition to the Mrs. Renfro, Fontera, and Newman's. There's not that variety of niche sauces in the bottled hot sauce section yet, but I think it will get there.
I'm also seeing more artisan things like regionally produced pickled products. And the price reflects that. $6.99 for a good sized jar of Dilly Beans, picked asparagus, or pickled carrot stix. I think it was a 16 oz jar, most of the other things like picked asparagus are in 8oz jars.
Grocery stores are following the trend for local products. So maybe THAT is a trend. Buy Local, stores carrying items that come from within 7 hours travel to the store.
Definitely room for more SPAM restaurants~Regarding the amount of artisan hot sauces in grocery stores, I think it's getting there. In the jarred salsa section, I'm seeing a number of regional salsa, in addition to the Mrs. Renfro, Fontera, and Newman's. There's not that variety of niche sauces in the bottled hot sauce section yet, but I think it will get there.
I'm also seeing more artisan things like regionally produced pickled products. And the price reflects that. $6.99 for a good sized jar of Dilly Beans, picked asparagus, or pickled carrot stix. I think it was a 16 oz jar, most of the other things like picked asparagus are in 8oz jars.
Grocery stores are following the trend for local products. So maybe THAT is a trend. Buy Local, stores carrying items that come from within 7 hours travel to the store.