The State of Dining: 2020 Disruption
For the chefs reading this, you have my sincere respect and admiration. On behalf of Sous Design, I congratulate you on working through an unprecedented year in the culinary industry. This survey¹ sought to uncover a few of the untold truths during the past year. As designers, we seek to learn how and why people act, then have those insights influence what we create. I hope these results provide inspiration for you and wind in your sails. The untold truths of this year in the culinary industry are more complex than what fits neatly into headlines. I hope you benefit from this attempt to discern that complexity.
I’m inspired by the simplicity of Gabrielle Hamilton’s recent words from her piece on the closing of Prune in the New York Times,
“The work itself…still feels as fresh and honest and immensely satisfying as ever.”
In 2021, may we all find the fresh and honest satisfaction we seek.
Survey Insights:
1. Chefs feel better prepared for the future.
Having worked through the pandemic, chefs feel they can handle almost anything that comes their way in the future. Despite significant hardship, they are taking the lessons learned forward into new ventures that will benefit from this year’s experience.
2. The market’s expectations don’t change.
Chefs feel that customers still demand the same quality and creativity that they did prior to the pandemic. Many chefs are happy with their product this year, but feel it could be better. They also feel to-go orders can’t be controlled well and are causing increased dissatisfaction among their customers.
3. Creativity means something else during COVID.
Creativity during COVID has taken the form of being inventive with the resources available. Chefs pride clever & efficient uses of inventory, team schedules and delivery methods. They have discovered pride does not only come from what’s on the plate.
Survey Results:
38% OF CHEFS SURVEYED HAVE HELD MULTIPLE ROLES EITHER WITHIN THEIR RESTAURANT OR BETWEEN MULTIPLE RESTAURANTS.
Over one third of chefs surveyed are responsible for either multiple roles within their restaurants, or they have worked for more than one restaurant in 2020. Stretched thin, they are covering the gaps wherever they happen to be: both front-of-house and back-of-house, often at the same time.
57% OF CHEFS SURVEYED DESCRIBED BEING A CHEF IN 2020 NEGATIVELY. 30% DESCRIBED IT POSITIVELY.
62% OF CHEFS SURVEYED DESCRIBED HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR CULINARY TEAM POSITIVELY. 30% DESCRIBED THEM NEGATIVELY.
50% OF CHEFS SURVEYED DESCRIBED HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS NEGATIVELY. 30% DESCRIBED THEM POSITIVELY.
70% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED BEING HIGHLY PROUD (8–10) OF THE WORK THEY’VE ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR.
70% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED BEING HIGHLY PROUD (8–10) OF THE WORK THEIR CULINARY TEAM ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR.
57% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS MADE THEM FEEL HIGHLY PROUD (8–10) THIS YEAR.
85% OF CHEFS SURVEYED FEEL THEY ARE BETTER CHEFS NOW FOR HAVING WORKED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED A 5% DROP IN THEIR CUSTOMERS’ EXPECTATIONS FOR CULINARY CREATIVITY BETWEEN NOW AND THE PRE-COVID MARKET.
Despite the disruption to the culinary market and the unprecedented stress chefs face, customers still expect creativity. The marginal drop in perceived creative expectations from customers means chefs feel they must still bring their full self and their best to the culinary product to satisfy customers.
42% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED FEELING HIGHLY FREE (8–10) TO PURSUE THEIR PERSONAL CULINARY CREATIVITY IN 2020.
42% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED FEELING HIGHLY SATISFIED (8–10) WITH THEIR PERSONAL CULINARY CREATIVITY IN 2020.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic inspired your culinary creativity in unexpected ways? If so, how?
73% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED FEELING HIGHLY CONFIDENT (8–10) THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE WORKING AS CHEFS IN A YEAR.
96% OF CHEFS SURVEYED FEEL THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED FOR FUTURE MARKET DISRUPTIONS DUE TO COVID-19.
Chefs who have had to innovate and adapt quickly to unprecedented disruption now overwhelmingly feel that they can handle future calamitous events. Likely, these skills for handling complex challenges will carry-over to better basic business skills that will assist them in all future market conditions.
CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED AN 8% DROP IN THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THEIR CULINARY PRODUCT THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR.
Dissatisfaction with the quality of culinary product is not proportionate to the impact of the market disruption. Although chefs do report a decline in their satisfaction with their product, their overall attitude is not overly down about what they are serving to their customers. This may be a reflection that the culinary product is simply not their best, but certainly not bad.
38% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED FEELING HIGHLY SATISFIED (8–10) WITH THEIR RESTAURANT’S TO-GO EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR.
31% OF CHEFS SURVEYED REPORTED FEELING HIGHLY SATISFIED (8–10) WITH THEIR RESTAURANT’S TO-GO CONTAINERS THIS YEAR.
THE TOP 5 MOST IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS FOR TO-GO CONTAINERS ARE:
1. Sustainable Materials
2. Thermal Properties
3. Lower Cost
4. Better Plating
5. Storage Efficiency
What one problem facing you or your restaurant would be the most beneficial to solve?
What’s one thing that comes to mind that you or your restaurant are doing well right now?
¹Survey methodology: The survey was conducted between October 20th, 2020 and November 16th, 2020. Survey participants completed answers online through a Google Forms survey. In total, 26 participants completed the survey, representing multiple markets within the culinary service industry. The survey’s conclusions and insights are intended to be qualitative. Select restaurants where survey participants worked include: Vespertine; Alo; Pato; St. Neo’s Brasserie; The Norbert; Curaté; Chinchin; Noma; The Test Kitchen; Aix; Fit; Patina 250; Red Salt; Note; The West Hollywood Edition; Dune; C.I.A.; Grand Hotel Vienna; Sato.
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