Global influences and East-West coast innovations are shaping trends that metro-Detroit diners will experience while eating out in 2001, according to area restaurant visionaries.

Jerry McVety of McVety & Associates, Farmington Hills, founded a foodservices and hospitality consulting company that advises top-end restaurants, offering third-party input geared to success. According to McVety, the Midwest isn’t setting any trends, but will experience international or coastal trends that have traveled inward from the west or east.

“Trends expanded beyond their original venues strengthen and establish the trend,” McVety said. “Establishment of sushi bars in strip malls across the country and in metro Detroit is an example. While many are not authentic and traditional, they’ve Americanized a complicated ethnicity in a food-friendly way. People like sushi bars and their popularity will continue to grow.”

Maitre d’ Mickey Bakst of Tribute, Farmington Hills, agrees. He sees an expansion of Asian and Asian-influenced restaurants. “In Chicago, sushi bars are extremely popular,” he said. “The food is perceived as lighter, yet packed with exotic flavors. Americans who eat out frequently want a lot of flavor in their food.”

McVety had the same idea. “The P.F. Chang’s concept of simplifying Chinese food for Americans will be copied,” he said. “But P.F. Chang’s (Somerset Collection South, Troy) is the ultimate model. It will be hard to beat.”

The food in a bowl concept that went beyond Mongolian Barbeque wasn’t successful in metro Detroit. Within the last year or two, eateries that tried it either went out of business or changed the concept. McVety thinks it will return.

“Not as the theme of an entire restaurant,” he said. “It will start small and build, as part of an existing menu or an option within a restaurant. Rice and noodles are in. People like them topped with beef stew or sauteed vegetables as a vegetarian choice.”

Comfort is important
“More steakhouse chains like Outback will come into this area,” McVety predicted. “The menu will satisfy both a light eater with a small filet and Hungry Harry, with larger cuts of beef. To be successful, options are required and people will demand comfort.”

Bakst noted that “exotic and unexpected bursts of flavor” drive the Asian concept, but “basic and simple” are preference contrasts favoring a steakhouse.

Considering that Bakst works at one of the area’s most celebrated restaurants, he was honest in stating “High-end is not the way diners are headed. People are prone to be more critical of a restaurant purporting to be high-end, especially when the diner is paying top dollar. Price, food, and feel must be in the comfort range.”

Diners are notching down to bistro-style, not in the quality of food, but in approach, Bakst believes. Chefs will be less artistic in plate presentations, opting for “homey” and comfortable, less art and with more heart put into simplicity.

Yet, the best chefs will stretch their imagination to offer dishes packed with flavors. That’s been the food success at Birmingham’s Forte and Brian Polcyn’s Five Lakes Grill in Milford.

Bakst, however, offers a criticism. “I don’t want to sound negative,” he said, “but metro Detroit diners are accepting mediocrity in food. In 2001 they should resolve not to.”

Always operating from a comfort base, Unique Restaurant Corporation’s (URC) chef/proprietor Matt Prentice also predicts the increased popularity of steak or chop houses because people are getting back to protein.

“The steak and back to meat preferences stem from people’s view that high protein and low carbohydrate diets are healthier,” Prentice said. “People understand the concept, but they don’t know how to make it work in a restaurant.”

Other developments
McVety predicts you’ll see more restaurants with lounges and entertainment, particularly jazz pianists and trios. Diners will relax in a lounge before entering the dining room and will linger there after dinner.

More mid-range restaurants and chefs with established restaurants will offer carry-out, McVety said.

Despite labor problems, more restaurant owners will find catering profitable, Mcvety said. It’s easier to hire a temporary catering staff for one event. Food and labor costs are known in advance, and some of the revenue is paid up front.

“It will evolve to about one third of their business. Many more will expand to catering in homes and actually going to a home to cook for a special occasion.”

Prentice also sees more restaurant owners going into catering. Unique has been in the catering business for years.

“Catering is a tremendous business, but it’s not an easy business to build at first,” he said. “It’s built through reputation. It is very competitive.”

What’s out? McVety believes the Detroit suburbs are saturated with Italian neighborhood restaurants. And theme restaurants are in trouble.

“They’re cute one time,” he said. “But a restaurant lives or dies on loyal, return diners. Theme restaurants can’t sustain the regulars.”

Fast-food restaurants may have a tough time next year, some analysts predict. The U.S. market is saturated with fast-food restaurants, and some chains may cut back, McVety said. “The generation that likes McDonald’s is grown up now,” he said. “They’re going to casual dining.”

Financially speaking
Restaurant sales are expected to hit new highs in 2001, although the labor shortage may continue unless the economy slows.

“An economic slow-down will not necessarily impact eating out,” McVety maintained. “People will cut back in other areas, but with two income families or single parents, eating out will continue as a way of life. Two-income families eat out more, and there are more of them.”

Restaurateurs figure to do well even if the economy slows. “First, a slow economy creates more pressure for both spouses to work, second it would help restaurants with the labor shortage,” said Prentice. “If the economy slows, wages could drop and more people would be willing to work in restaurants.”

Other analysts predict restaurants still will have trouble finding employees. The exception is fine-dining restaurants, where many of the waiters and waitresses are professional servers.
Source: The Observer & Eccentric, 12/00; Crain’s Detroit Business, 11/00.