Chefs Look Ahead to 2025

Trends to watch and solutions to employee challenges topped the priority list when a group of chefs came together for the most recent Chefs’ Perspectives roundtable. Foodservice Equipment Reports and RATIONAL hosted the virtual event, which first took place in 2021, to help operators navigate the future of foodservice.

Built around the theme of the state of the foodservice industry, the October event offered chefs the opportunity to talk through what was on their minds heading into 2025. Takeaways include the following:

Guests increasingly want to know the source of their food. Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe for years has promoted the benefits of sourcing local foods. But now, it’s more mainstream, she says, and the pressure will be on chefs to meet the public’s demand. “I believe that if you know who the farm is that you’re buying from, you’re going to celebrate that product. It’s going to be delicious,” Stegner says. “And I felt like for a while you weren’t seeing [farms] on people’s menu anymore. But during the pandemic, people cooked at home and reconnected to their sourcing. They’re looking at where the product comes from.”

At Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, Randy Hoppman partners with local farmers. It’s a win-win, he says, as his costs are fair and the farmers make a profit. He sees positive reactions from guests, too. “We’ll write on our menu, next to the specials of the day, whose farm or garden the item came from and we’ve been selling out,” Hoppman says.

The right benefits and enough hours may help with employee retention. Vinnie Cimino says he and the rest of the leadership team at Cordelia are still fine-tuning their benefits package after opening in 2022. They offer employees exceptional health insurance and a 401(k), he says, but many employees don’t take advantage. “What we’re coming to find out is, everybody has a different definition of benefits and what they want out of our restaurant,” Cimino says. Employees are more interested in mental health benefits, he says. The restaurant recently switched to a different healthcare provider, which includes those benefits for free. More employees have signed up for insurance because of it.

Noah Zamler of Irene’s, which is temporarily closed as a result of a fire, plans to expand the diner’s hours to include dinner service, in part to provide employees with more flexibility. “Before, it was difficult for us to maintain staff because we were only open for breakfast and lunch. We had people wanting more hours and trying to get a second job,” Zamler says. “The most important thing with your staff and retention, unfortunately, comes down to money. You can do the best to build a good environment … but the reality is, if people can’t pay their rent, they’re not going to be able to stick around.”

Efficiency rules when it comes to equipment. On the equipment side of things, in the new year, Zamler will work on rebuilding Irene’s, while Cimino will continue to replace inherited equipment at Cordelia with new pieces that best meet the restaurant’s needs. Hoppman plans to look into combi ovens, and any other piece of equipment that helps Eagle Ridge Resort operate more efficiently.

Billy Buck of RATIONAL pointed to the efficiencies realized by one operator with the iVario Pro. Earlier in the day he talked with the operator, who runs a taco concept with multiple stores. Once they found how much cook time and labor savings the equipment offered, they made plans to add them to other locations.

Inclusive dining experiences could gain traction. Stegner anticipates restaurants will respond in a positive way to the public’s growing pressure to be more inclusive. Prairie Grass Cafe hosts a sensory friendly dining hour once a month and Stegner says it will continue to do so in 2025. “It’s a quiet hour where we turn the music down and dim the lights. I took away things that take a long time to cook on the menu and there’s not too much guest interaction [with staff members] unless initiated,” Stegner says. Prairie Grass Cafe earned a 2024 Disability Matters North America Award for the event.

Prior to October’s event, chefs met in June to talk about how to stay ahead of competition with other restaurants. For highlights, visit fermag.com and search “Chefs Share Strategies on How To Stay Competitive.”

Chefs’ Perspectives October 2024 Panelists

Vinnie Cimino
Chef/Partner
Cordelia
Cleveland

Randy Hoppman
Executive Chef
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa
Galena, Ill.

Sarah Stegner
Co-Owner/Chef
Prairie Grass Cafe
Northbrook, Ill.

Noah Zamler
Chef/Partner
Irene’s, Chicago

Hosts:

Billy Buck
Vice President of Culinary (U.S.)
RATIONAL USA
Rolling Meadows, Ill.

Allison Rezendes
Chief Content Officer
Foodservice Equipment Reports
Jupiter, Fla.