The word "foodie" is dead. Or if it isn't, it definitely should be. First coined on the completely made-up date of Sept. 29, 2004, "foodie" has become one of those words, like "geek" and "weirdo," that applies to pretty much everyone with Internet access. In fact, almost everything about the food landscape this past year has left us feeling just a little old hat.
Bacon, sriracha, Yelp, cronuts -- here at Foodbeast, we think we're all about ready to move on. To see what 2014 has in store for all us discerning eaters. To find what's next.
What new technologies will we be using, will we still be waiting in line for hours for crazy hype foods, will #hashtags #finally #beused #thewaytheyresupposedto?
We don't pretend to have all the answers, and we can't even say next year will necessarily be all that different (yeah, Yelp is here to stay) -- but we do believe big, big things are in the works. It's about freaking time.
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2013 was the year of throwing Yelp under the bus. Despite negative allegations from users claiming they're "unpaid writers" and want off the "slave ship," and the ever-evolving conversation of Yelp's ad team pinching small business owners for better review placement, Yelp continues being one of the most prominent properties on the Internet. With more than 100 million monthly visitors and a year of valuable feature additions (check health grades for your local hole-in-the-wall!, the Wikipedia of restaurants isn't going anywhere any time soon.
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Foursquare: You May Not Hear Much About it in 2014, But Trust Us, It'll Be There
Foursquare isn't out, it's just not what we thought it'd be when it first launched back in 2009. Once conceived as a location check-in-based social network now finds one of its greatest utilities living on through its powerful API and database of venues.
Gone are the days of 2012 where you and your friends felt the need to check in via Foursquare just to share the status in your Twitter feed. Foursquare's value seems to be less in their own consumer-facing application, but more in how their infrastructure fits in with much more interesting applications, such as Instagram's geo-tagging (yes, they're using Foursquare).
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Fast Casual-fication of Fast Food
The end of 2013, there was a promising road ahead in the world of fast food. Restaurants began to move towards the concept of fast casual, restaurants that are somewhat in-between fast food and fine dining. Hamburger chains began incorporating pretzel buns into their menu items and Carl's Jr. and Hardy's began switching out toward fresh-baked buns in an effort to produce a higher quality of product. For an additional fee, customers have the choice of a fresher component rarely available in the fast-food scene. The idea behind fast food is that you don't have the time for a sit-down restaurant or to prepare it yourself. You're in a rush and there's no other options other than fast food then the option of a fresher ingredients is appealing.
The biggest change, however, came from the fact that fast-food behemoth McDonald's began testing a Build-Your-Own-Burger concept at a couple of their stores across the U.S. Customers can now build their own burger at a fixed price (though bacon is extra). This gave customers the possibly of an even more hands-on experience in creating their burgers. Places like Five Guys, Pie-o-logy and Chipotle have been in the customization business for quite a while and McDonald's BYOB tablets seem to not only offer that service, but also allow for a speedier customer-restaurant transaction process.
Craft beers have also been making headlines as they've become easier and easier to find every day. With chains like Chipotle adding craft beers to many locations toward the end of 2012 and early 2013. It seems 2014 could be the missing link that finally incorporates drinking and fast food. We've spent our entire childhoods with either soda or chocolate milk as the only options when eating at a fast-food establishment. With craft beers on the rise, they're no longer a small niche for beer enthusiasts but a viable pairing for those who enjoy a drink with their meal, expanding the relationship between brewers and fast-food, fast-casual chains.
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Designer and Gourmet Food Courts
The word is out. Chicago's Eataly is an enormous success. Metropolitan Americans have grown tiresome of tracking down food innovation (see: the demise of food trucks mentioned earlier), but the thought of being able to choose among a dozen food and beverage vendors all located in one place simply sounds glorious. In theory, gourmet food courts work for chefs and restaurateurs in all stages of their careers.
For upcoming chefs and restaurateurs, this provides them with a standalone-ish location that requires less overhead costs in comparison to opening a restaurant, thanks in part to the smaller kitchen, smaller staff, community seating, etc. In comparison to a food truck -- you don't have to pay for gas and completely rely on your social audience and catering for revenue streams. Plus, you also have an actual address and the potential for "walk-in" discovery.
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Craft Soda Will Actually Mean Something to People in 2014
If you haven't heard about craft soda in 2012 and 2013, expect it to be in your ear for 2014. Craft soda's popularity throughout 2013 was still in its infancy when juxtaposed with how craft beer took the main stage within the beer vertical.
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Moar Single-Item Restaurants
Why sweat over a hard-to-read menu with tons of different choices when you can dine at a place that has one really kick-butt dish? Single-item restaurants are trends that look to fill a specific niche int he stomachs of foodies. Places like Sprinkles and Bo Nuage are a quick fix for those who are looking to satisfy their craving for sweets without having to pour over the menu as a line builds up behind them. Establishments that cater to peanut butter, waffles and meatloaf lovers now exist. There's even a place in the world for a taquitos-only menu. Customers with a specific taste and appetite can enjoy a plethora of dishes focused around a core item.
Another forerunner is the advent of the grilled cheese restaurants. Places like The Grilled Cheese Spot take one dish, or sandwich, and allows a customer to create their own signature dish while keeping the grilled cheese theme. Customers at The Melt are able to order ahead of time online and check in via QR code immediately avoiding long waits thanks to indecisive patrons.
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We've stuffed every burger imaginable with every sandwich imaginable. We've deep-fried butter, ice cream and even beer. Now that the novelty's worn off, all that's left is a stomach full of regret and a few clogged arteries. Binging on meat-filled burritos might have been totes cool in 2013, but it may not fly once 2014 rolls around.
With health food restaurants popping up more and more, it's looking like fit is in. Restaurants such as Veggie Grill, Tender Greens and Native Foods have all been grilling up healthy eats and yummy treats. The idea behind a sit-down health food eatery is that customers pay for something both delicious and healthy in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. They can enjoy being fit, take a break from cooking at home and still gorge on something appetizing.
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Better Food Photography
Admittedly this one may be more wishful thinking, but with the uptick this past year of prosumer point-and-shoots, mirrorless cameras, and the release of the retro DSLR Nikon DF, budding street food photographers need no longer fear hauling their giant-ass cameras into restaurants in order to take decent images, since there are plenty of smaller (and cuter) cameras that can do just as good a job. IPhoneography can only go so far, after all. Let's hope 2014 food porn is food porn actually worth looking at. -- Dominique Zamora
Adapted from Baum + Whiteman