The Culinary Institute of America just wrapped up their 19th annual Worlds of Flavor® conference and festival, World Flavors: Casual by Design. The highly anticipated event featured culinary experts and renowned chefs from around the globe sharing delicious food and insights with hundreds of attendees. (Fun fact: Did you know that the founders of Synergy Restaurants Consultants are both CIA trained chefs?)

Every year the conference features a different theme. In 2016, the cuisines of Europe and the Americas had the spotlight while the 2015 event focused on Asian foods. This year, the emphasis was on high-quality food served in casual settings. During the three-day conference, an abundance of culinary knowledge was shared. Here are some of the topics from workshops and seminars: 

• China in Motion: Tradition Meets Fusion in New Casual Settings
• When Peruvian Cuisine Goes Global: Innovation Opportunities for Millennial Diners
• Designing our Future: New Models and Approaches for Casual Dining
• The Business of Markets and Food Halls: Strategies and Recipes
• What Does Hospitality Mean in the Casual World?
• True Thai Flavors: The Casual Road to Michelin Stars

Check out this video of highlights from CIA WOF 2017

At Synergy, we are always abreast of food trends and new ways to become efficient as a restaurant operator. If you have questions regarding developing your casual concept or improving your current operation, please contact us.

Ever try going out to eat with a group of friends but can’t agree on a place? Mary wants Greek, but Tim’s craving Thai. Susan, however, has a hankering for New York style pizza. Well, the food hall is your answer, and they’re on the rise!

Think of a food hall as a reinvented food court that delivers an immersive food experience, rather than just a place for a quick bite after a day of shopping. Food halls act as a gathering place for people to try various cuisines from different food stalls. Inspired by the eclectic charm of veteran urban food centers like Chelsea Market in New York City and The Original Farmer’s market in Los Angeles, savvy developers are re-defining the food court and incubating new concepts to produce a rich dining experience beyond the city center. By reducing their footprint and sharing a roof and common space, new concepts and can reduce their start-up costs and share in the success of neighboring eateries by gaining visibility. The “Veto Vote” is moot when there are options to suit multiple palates, price points and dietary needs, especially when the space is anchored with an appealing central dining area.

Having a food hall presence is a great way for restaurant operators to showcase a single product or platform like outrageous doughnuts, the most amazing porchetta sandwich and unique takes on poutine. Diners create their own food adventure amongst the variety, perhaps by starting with a drink at one location, then moving to another spot for a first course or dessert. Diverse menu offerings encourage team eating, wherein each member of the group orders from a separate concept, then meets at a communal table for sharing and sampling. Operators capitalize on this phenomena by offering limited menus, specializing in one menu item and doing that item extremely well, effectively becoming the subject matter expert in that item.

Check out 8 food halls arriving on the scene, via restaurantbusinessonline.com – you might find one in your area! Nearby Synergy’s headquarters we find a couple of exciting food halls opening soon—SteelCraft in Long Beach, Calif. will feature merchant specializing in ramen, pizza, waffles, Hawaiian shave ice, coffee, chocolates and more. Trade Food Hall in Irvine, Calif. will serve up fried chicken, fish and chips, ice cream, and gyros to name a few.