Small plates can prove to be a big plus for food service operators looking to drive traffic and appeal to the more adventurous side of their clientele.
Offered chiefly at higher-end restaurants as a possible alternative to the traditional appetizer-entrée-dessert triumvirate, small plates provide guests with the ability to expand their dining experience through the addition of specially designed selections that also can be shared in a few bites with others. In addition, they allow customers concerned with health and wellness to better control their calorie intake without compromising the enjoyment of a meal.
Chefs, in particular, are bullish on the growing trend of engaging their customers through the menuing of small plates. In the National Restaurant Association's What's Hot for 2014 survey of nearly 1,300 members of the American Culinary Federation, “grazing” or small-plate sharing ranked No. 17 on the list of Top 20 Trends. According to the study, which was conducted in October-November 2013, 67 percent of those polled called small plate sharing a “hot trend,” while a further 15 percent characterized it as a “perennial favorite.”
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