Before we move ahead, I feel it is extremely important to mention a few things about this past year.

To my family, friends and associates whom we have lost to the pandemic, you are missed dearly.

To all the front-line workers who selflessly fight to keep us safe, healthy and keep us fed, you are the epitome of what makes our country one of the greatest.

To all the workers in our industry, from the ranches to the slaughterhouses, the truckers, grocery workers, as well as the restaurant and hospitality workforce — thank you for showing up daily and working through these extremely difficult times.

To everyone that helps in keeping America going, thank you! It is appreciated and should never be taken for granted.

To all the men and woman that serve in our armed forces to keep us safe from harm’s way, thank you for your dedication and sacrifice.

We may bend and some may fall, but we will endure and come out stronger. I want us all to look ahead and see the possibilities of our future, see our flaws, see our accomplishments and know we can always be a better country together.

Okay, now then — As I do each year, I wanted to share my thoughts on what we might see as possible new trends in the food industry for 2022.

More robotic integration, in many forms, will continue to grow this coming year. This certainly seems to be fueled and facilitated by operators seeking reliable replacements from the labor shortage and no pensions, minimum hours or healthcare insurance is needed.
We will see more plant-based products beyond chicken nuggets available on menus and in your local grocery stores.
As more states legalize cannabis you will start to see more whole-plant CBD as well as varying strength THC products available. To really become mainstream, we need more states to ratify their stance on legalizing and decriminalizing cannabis.
With COVID keeping us in lockdown, it helped fuel an increase our nation's alcohol consumption. In recent months we have seen a big trend in lower-alcohol, pre-blended cocktails in cans for that carry-out moveable feast — a perfect segue to take-out, food trucks, outdoor dining and all the ways the restaurants got through these past 21 months. I can’t imagine that this will do anything but grow and get even more creative.
Assisting that channel will be the continued growth of ghost kitchens to help reduce brick-and- mortar footprints for brands. It also seems to be a way for those of us still left in the restaurant biz to morph and make a living and pay fewer employees a higher living wage!
This past year mashed-up ice cream saw Mac & Cheese flavor dominate in the media and I’m certain this is not the last of twisted combos coming for 2022.
Still gaining momentum will be the all-day breakfast favorites spilling over into lunch, brunch, dinner and snack time. A friend recently returned from a trip to Korea and raved about gigantic stuffed egg sandwiches being the rage with an array of toppings. They remind me of late-night frite carts in Belgium that provided an array of 10 different toppings. Also, Korean stick hotdogs with crispy coatings and dips.
Keep an eye out for more Georgian (the country, not the state) cuisine — love those dumplings!!!
To wrap this up I am seeing more and more specialty vinegars used to accent and brighten a multitude of dishes. My personal flavor of the month is fig vinegar, as we had a stellar crop this year.

My query is simple, what do you see emerging in 2022?

Live well always.

What’s in store for 2022?

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