Do you recall the time before smartphones when the thought of dining solo was simply an embarrassment? How could you dine alone? Like that poor unfortunate soul in a high school cafeteria, you would have stared at your food like it was the most interesting piece of meatloaf you’ve ever had. Today, a solo meal is the complete opposite of that. I am not alone, but even more connected to my network—my followers—during this opportunity for uninterrupted time with my iPhone.
The leading food trend for 2014 bows down to social media skivvies. Restaurateurs are creating multitasking-friendly foods—one-handers—that keep our other hand free to tweet, Instagram or scratch. Think of sandwiches, wraps and such—they will be the head of menus. In 2011, USA Today probed the question as to whether or not restaurants should condone digitally distracted diners who are on their smartphones texting, chatting and noshing. There is even a Facebook page, Ban Cellphones from Restaurants. It’s a collection of rants and media links that cleverly support the movement—even I felt like an inconsiderate yuppie. Now, three years later, we’re all living in harmony. Restaurants are really considering the power of social media in a different way.
This got me thinking about Go-Gurt, which is yogurt in a tube. It was the answer to the dilemma of having to use a spoon to get to the yogurt, and needing two hands to get the job done. Would this be the direction of food in the future? An uno mano experience that will drive food costs up because of special packaging? I mean look at the cost difference between a whole chicken and individually packaged, single serving chicken breast packs.
While the convenience of being able to hit the spot while checking-in, reviewing and taking a selfie in the spot sounds like a bad idea to some, as a social media enthusiast and a caterer who sells food as an experience, I see this as a worthy challenge. A sandwich should no longer be a two-pieces of sliced bread and meat, and a wrap should be more than a carb-conscious alternative. Chefs must now create dishes that will hold the interests of a Sesame Street 60-second attention span generation that are Instagram-worthy, and convenient to eat.
Instead of shunning and sneering at distracted diners, I say embrace us. We’re not talking on the phone anyway—that’s so 90s. We’re quietly tapping, sliding and pinching. What’s a faint ding every so often? Give us something worth diverting our attention to. And if you do, we will “share” it. And that is advertising you can’t buy unless you’re Kris Jenner.
