ALEXANDRIA, Va. – More consumers are craving dishes with
international flare and bolder flavors, as well as healthier attributes,
suggests the 2017 Emerging Brands survey by Fishbowl.
"I think it's been interesting to see over the past
several years how consumer tastes are really changing," Mike Lukianoff,
chief analytics officer for Fishbowl, told CNBC. Fishbowl develops its list by
using survey analytics to solicit nominations from industry experts and food
enthusiasts, including industry executives, advisors, investors and thought
leaders. Fishbowl then leverages its proprietary social media software to
analyze structured reviews, blogs, check-ins, social posts, media mentions and
the enthusiasm apparent in posts and mentions.
Fishbowl’s top 10 emerging brands are:
- n
- VER
- TS Mediterranean Grill
- Xi’an Famous Foods
- &pizza
- Asian Box
- Cava Grill & Cava Mezze
- Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
- Founding Farmers
- Sushirr
- ito
- Epi
- c Burger
"When we started tracking the emerging brands, really
what was popping up was the traditional staples," Lukianoff told CNBC,
noting that burgers and pizza were the most popular trends. "Consumers
latched onto that because it was already a part of their eating habits."
Now, Fishbowl is finding that emerging brands include restaurants that
specialize in Asian, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Filipino and Cuban
delicacies. "We are seeing much more diverse types of concepts," he
said, adding that these types of foods are becoming more accessible for the
average American.