af&co. & Carbonate To Debut The "Sweet 16" Edition Of Their Annual Hospitality Trends Report

Compiled from extensive year-long research, the af&co. & Carbonate hospitality trends report forecasts the biggest influences in food, beverage, hotels, and more that will shape the industry in 2024.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- af&co., one of the country's top boutique lifestyle/hospitality marketing and public relations firms, and Carbonate, a boutique creative services and brand communications agency, are thrilled to celebrate a "Sweet 16" years of trend forecasting with the release of their 16th annual Hospitality Trends Report. The report presents a comprehensive overview of the trends and practices that will shape the hospitality industry in 2024 by identifying key influences in food, beverage, hotels & travel, design, marketing, and social media.

"More is more in 2024. The forced austerity of the pandemic years has led to an explosion of over-the-top concepts and experiences—it's maximalism to the max," says Andrew Freeman, Founder of af&co. "Cross-category collaborations are also exploding, and we'll only continue to see more of them. Brands are teaming up to leverage the collective power of their networks, and give guests and consumers something truly unique."

The af&co./Carbonate trends report has become an anticipated industry resource for hospitality professionals, providing actionable insights to help brands increase relevance and attract business.

"The expectations have never been higher for restaurant and hospitality brands, and people are craving new experiences and connection," says Candace MacDonald, Co-Founder of Carbonate. "To remain relevant, it's crucial to be adaptable—capturing attention in new and dynamic ways, and taking an integrated approach to marketing that will engage audiences across a variety of channels."

Find some of the trends below or click here to discover all 57 trends in the full report:

Cuisine of the Year: Korean

From K-pop and kimchi, to the Oscar-winning Parasite, and the popular TV series Squid Game—Korean culture is exploding in the US, as are the number of Korean restaurants representing all facets of the cuisine: fast-food fried chicken, communal DIY barbecue, craveable flaming cheese-topped hot pots, high-end steakhouses, casual bakeries, and luxurious fine dining.

• According to Google Trends, in April 2023 the search for gochujang reached a five-year high
• In the U.S., the sales of the rice cakes used in tteokbokki increased 450% in 2023
• Four times as many Korean restaurants were highlighted in the NY Michelin Guide in 2022 in comparison to 2006.

Drink of the Year: Caprese Martini

In the past few years cocktails have gone from sweet to savory, and from bitter to briny. Bartenders are embracing culinary ingredients and techniques for new takes on old classics. Enter the era of the culinary cocktail! While these can steer toward the whimsical or downright whacky, the Caprese Martini is a thoughtful rendition, honoring the flavors and characteristics of its namesake, but offering the bright flavors of tomato and basil, as if the martini went for a walk through the late-summer vegetable garden.

• Jac's on Bond (New York, NY) Caprese Martini is made with basil, olive oil and tomato-infused vodka and a dash of balsamic vinegar
• CasalIna (Los Angeles, CA) Caprese Martini made with gin, tomato, basil, vermouth, and tomato celery bitters.
• Rollati (San Jose, CA) Heirloom Tomato Martini featuring olive oil washed vodka, tomato and olive oil (PHOTO)

Desert of the Year: Pavlova/Eton Mess

Dame (New York, NY) made the oft-forgotten British eton mess top of mind again. In doing so, more meringue and whipped cream desserts are now gracing the American table: Pavlova from New Zealand and Australia, or layered meringue and cream desserts from France and Italy. Regardless of name or origin, each features a crisp meringue shell, fluffy whipped cream or silky smooth pastry cream, and often but not always a bit of tangy fruit to offset the sweetness. A classic combination is back, no matter what you call it.

• Jupiter (New York, NY) "Italian Mess" with meringue, poached rhubarb, rhubarb sorbet zabaione (PHOTO)
• Press (St. Helena, CA) Sweet Corn Pavlova with chamomile ice and blueberries

Our Daily Breadfruit

This Caribbean fruit really could be the next superfood thanks not only to its health benefits touting all of the magic words (energy-rich, low-fat, gluten free, high in fiber, high in minerals, low glycemic index) but also because it's environmentally friendly: a low-maintenance, high yielding crop that shows remarkable resilience withstanding harsh climatic conditions and thrives in warm(ing) environments.

• Meridia at the Mauna Kea resort (Kohala Coast, HI) serves breadfruit like potato bravas alongside octopus or in gnocchi with seared scallops (PHOTO)
• 'Ulu Chips a winner of a Good Food Award in 2022 just opened their first production factory in Hawaii

Culinary Inspired Cocktails

Bartenders are cooking something up as they embrace culinary cocktails, finding inspiration and ingredients in the kitchen. Double Chicken Please (New York, NY), named one of The World's 50 Best Bars in 2023, whet the appetite with its list of cocktails such as mango sticky rice, red eye gravy or waldorf salad. Now others are following suit and embracing that playful spirit of curiosity. Jazzton Rodriguez's Chicken Soup Martini has had more than 600,000 views across Instagram and TikTok and bartenders across the country are using their favorite dishes as inspiration for alcoholic drinks.

• The Felix (San Francisco, CA) Pho Wimme is a variation of an old fashioned made with rye fat-washed with spiced beef tallow leftover from making pho, with benedictine and mole bitters
• The Anvil Pub & Grill (Birmingham, AL) Everything Everywhere with smoked salmon infused gin, vermouth, caper brine, and served in a coup with an Everything spice rim and garnished with capers, an olive, a pickled onion, and a lemon twist on a skewer
• MACHETE (Greensboro, NC) Bigfoot Sighting with wagyu fat bourbon, ketchup, mustard and pickle & onion bitters (PHOTO)

MSGevious Drinks

MSG has had a bad rap, but now, after being wrongfully accused, it is back, and widely embraced for its umami and powerful capabilities to boost other flavors. Not limited to the kitchen, bartenders are embracing MSG (monosodium glutamate) and other glutamates (like miso or soy sauce) for the rich savory notes they add to drinks.

• Ernest (San Francisco, CA) MSG Martini with gin, umeshu, fino sherry, and msg (PHOTO)
• Bonnie's (New York, NY) MSG Martini with choice of vodka or gin, olive brine, shaoxing wine, and msg
• Cote (New York, NY) Master Bandit Hwayo Soju, navy-strength gin, lemongrass syrup, lime, and MSG

Bed & Bud

Forbes estimated the global cannabis tourism market to be around $17 billion and Kayak found that nearly 33 percent of American travelers 21+ are interested in visiting a cannabis dispensary while traveling and 25% aged 21-34 have already traveled to a destination for legal cannabis. As countries and states continue to relax cannabis laws, expect hotels and destinations to craft experiences and itineraries that cater to them (and we're not talking about CBD spa treatments.)

• Elevations Hotels and Resorts brand DNA and entire brand portfolio is built around cannabis experiences
• The Clarendon Hotel & Spa proudly proclaims itself as cannabis friendly on its website, and offers 16 cannabis friendly rooms and the members-only Elevations Lounge, a space for cannabis enthusiasts to explore and enjoy cannabis, discover curated products, wind down, or recharge.
• The Lexi (Las Vegas, NV) offers "an entire floor for the cannabis-inclined" equipped with high-end air filtration system
• The Madrones (Philo, CA) the elegant hotel is home to the Bohemian Chemist an herbal apothecary that offers local sun-grown cannabis
• Scotia Lodge (Scotia, CA) is a four-star hotel where guests can order cannabis delivery of tinctures, edibles, gummies and chocolates

Hotels with Split Personalities

Hotels have long been introducing and differentiating new brands, in efforts to capture more consumers. Now this is happening at the property level, controlling construction costs and efficiencies, while meeting different markets. These hotels may have some shared spaces (pools, elevator banks, etc.), but they each often have their own different entrance, brand, aesthetic, personality and price point.

• Anvil Hotel and Cache House (Jackson Hole, WY)
• The Thompson (PHOTO) and Tommie (PHOTO) (Austin, TX)
• TETRA (part of the Marriott Autograph Collection) and AC Hotel Moffett Park (Santa Clara, CA)

Maximalist Design

Thanks to the ever-present resurgence of 90s nostalgia, designers are more empowered than ever to embrace maximalism through fresh, dynamic, and experimental mediums. A stark contrast to the preceding wave of swiss-inspired minimalism, the landscape is now saturated with vibrant color cues, highly custom typographic solutions, eye-catching illustrations, and bold, in-your-face graphics. Within the world of hospitality, the emphasis on approachability so often serves as an inspiration to the designer. The post-pandemic rise of the fast-casual restaurant scene inspires a bit of playfulness; maximalism-inspired visuals result in high-value aesthetics without feeling too pretentious or exclusive.

• PopUp Grocer
• Bauhaus BrewLabs

ABOUT CARBONATE: Carbonate is a brand communications and creative services agency specializing in food, beverage, restaurants, hotels, and hospitality tech. Carbonate builds, reinvigorates, and grows existing brands and hospitality concepts—taking an integrated approach to brand development and marketing, with services including strategy, design, public relations, and social media. Prior to launching as an independent company, Carbonate was a division of San Francisco-based af&co., a hospitality consulting firm that specializes in restaurants and hotels. Using industry insights, strategic thinking, and creative vision, Carbonate helps clients rise to the top of a competitive marketplace. Follow along @carbonategroup.

ABOUT af&co.: af&co. is an innovative restaurant and hospitality consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco with clients across the country. The company has developed and launched concepts for more than 100 restaurants and hotels and provided ongoing marketing, public relations, and operations consulting for more than 200 others. af&co. has created unique culinary events of all sizes from intimate dinners to food and wine festivals drawing more than 10,000 people. The team does whatever it takes to help their clients achieve their goals and focus on what they are passionate about: hotels, restaurants, food, wine, spirits and travel. Follow along @afandco.

Media Contact

Emily Lang, Carbonate, 1 513-478-3608, [email protected], www.carbonategroup.com

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SOURCE Carbonate