5 Culinary Business Innovation Ideas to Soar in 2024

The culinary business industry is constantly evolving and adapting to meet consumer needs and preferences. According to predictions by The International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group (IMARC Group), the growth of the F&B market in Indonesia is expected to increase by 12.15% between 2024 and 2032.

Several factors contribute to this growth, including changing consumer preferences, the growth of e-commerce, the growth of the tourism industry, government support for the F&B industry, and the influence of social media.

The opportunities for growth in the culinary business in 2024 remain wide open for all entrepreneurs ready to meet these challenges with the right culinary business innovations.

What innovations can you try to develop your culinary business? Here are 5 culinary business innovation ideas that can inspire you to start making changes to help your business grow.

1. Create New Healthy Food Menu Creations

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Indonesians are becoming more health-conscious. This shift influences consumer preferences, which are steadily moving towards healthy foods. According to Statista, the demand for plant-based foods is expected to consistently increase over the next five years.

One culinary business innovation you can implement is creating menus featuring vegetables, fruits, nutrient-rich and antioxidant foods, and fermented foods.

Consider using organic products prepared in a healthy way. You can innovate by making delicious yet nutritious foods that benefit your customers' health.

2. Utilize Local Food Supplies

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Local foods are becoming increasingly popular among consumers who want to support local products. In addition to considering ingredients and cooking methods, healthy foods can also be made by applying environmentally friendly practices.

According to a Katadata survey, 60.5% of 3,631 consumers want to buy environmentally friendly products. In line with this, 76% of Gen Z are inclined to purchase from companies that positively impact society and the environment.

You can create environmentally friendly culinary business innovations by offering local food menus prepared and presented with a modern touch. Implementing a "farm to table" concept to serve fresh, high-quality foods and collaborating with local farmers to support the community can be beneficial.

Using ingredients from local farmers helps reduce carbon emissions from long-distance food distribution. Additionally, it reduces the need for packaging and refrigeration, thereby cutting waste and energy consumption by sourcing raw materials locally.

3. Build Customer Loyalty with the Right Promotions

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Providing excellent service, from ensuring friendly staff to crafting quality menus and creating the right promotions, is key to customer loyalty.

Citing data from PwC in 2023, 62% of customers purchase specific products only when there are special promotions or discounts. You can leverage this opportunity to create attractive promotions in your restaurant. Through the ESB Loop loyalty program, you can offer promotions, rewards, and points to customers to boost your restaurant's sales.

According to business.com, the sales conversion rate for loyal customers is 60-70%, whereas it is only 5-20% for new customers.

Therefore, it is important to develop the right promotional strategies to keep customers loyal to your restaurant. With ESB Loop, you can customize loyalty programs to fit your restaurant's needs. Its flexible dashboard allows you to adjust points, transaction minimums, and other terms and conditions.

4. Enhance the Dine-In Experience for Customers

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Since the pandemic and the official end of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) in Indonesia, people have preferred to enjoy togetherness through dine-in experiences. According to PwC data from 2023, this preference has led to a 48% increase in queues at stores/restaurants.

One culinary business innovation strategy to address this challenge is integrating technology to speed up customer service without compromising quality.

You can use kiosks to reduce customer queues and facilitate menu selection according to their preferences. With kiosks, customers can order and pay independently.

To further ease table orders and reduce customer queues, you can use the table scan feature from ESB Order. Customers can access the menu, order, and pay directly from their table. No need to worry about customers facing difficulties as ESB Order is web-based and doesn't require app installation for access.

To ensure smoother, safer payments that ease cashier duties, consider providing digital payment modes and dynamic QRIS.

According to PwC data in 2023, 56% of customers are accustomed to and capable of making "Scan & Go" payments using QRIS.

ESB POSLite offers various digital payment features and dynamic QRIS. The ESB POSLite system helps process orders and payments more quickly and efficiently, reducing customer wait times.

5. Integrate Online Ordering Systems

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Indonesians love the convenience of ordering food online through food ordering apps. Therefore, you can integrate your restaurant's cashier app with an online ordering system that offers multiple ordering modes, including delivery.

Using the ESB POSLite cashier app and activating ESB Order allows you to receive orders from anywhere, potentially increasing sales by up to 30%.

You can also use the scheduled order feature to prepare orders more efficiently according to a set schedule. The same-day delivery feature in ESB Order ensures faster order deliveries within a certain area from your restaurant.

Running a culinary business requires constant adaptation and relentless innovation. You can continually explore various other culinary business innovations that align with your target market and brand.

Don't forget to leverage technology and stay updated with consumer trends to ensure your innovations not only increase sales but also enhance the customer experience.