It's what drove a significant amount of pre-VID tourism over the past five years; the sense that one can learn about a place through its food. Anthony Bourdain showed us this truth...and travel consumers bought into the concept.
As we watch the professional research firms reveal the thoughts of today's travel consumers, there are also the one-off polls that do not necessarily reflect America, but the readership of a particular online publication.
Such is the case with SmartBrief, a daily compilation of fascinating articles from around the world. The respondents to their polls could be expected to skew white-collar business professionals...and that's what is so concerning with last week's poll: Do you expect your dining habits to change after the pandemic?
Only a third of respondents said they would return to dining out like it was 2019...and 40% said they would be cooking more at home. To be sure, these responses aren't necessarily travel responses (as most of us can't cook in when we're on the road). But, it paints a distressing picture of a restaurant's base clientele's attitude.
Even more reason for DMOs, as they can, to help our culinary partners ideate ways to shift consumer sentiment. If, indeed, they want to cook in, attempt to facilitate that. The best restaurants source from specific farms. Our local butcher sources from only one farm for his beef tenderloin (and, it's awesome). Not taking away from the artistry of the chef, the source food is almost always better than supermarket, if they are not depending on a national distributor.
Hey, I know nothing about restaurants (other than I miss them). But, the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells offers to stock your cabin fridge with the same cuts of meat that they serve in their sensational Kaminski's Chop House. Seems like an idea that independent restaurants, regardless of the fare they serve, could emulate. People want to cook at home...show them the good stuff.
The farmers would benefit too. Win-Win.
Stay Strong.
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