Summer F&B Trends Lead the Way for 2019

A Closer Look at Restaurant Trends During The Summer: Vacation Wars and the Hottest Spots for Food and Drink

It’s no secret that the warm weather months see an increase in tourists around the country, and this summer was no different. People flocked to nearby beach communities, enjoyed the local cuisine and sipped rosé in the sun. As restaurateurs are wrapping up their summer sales and preparing for slower months ahead, what trends will they see rising to the top from Summer 2018?

Here’s a look at 2018 trends that restaurant owners should keep in mind when preparing for 2019.

Alcohol Trends by Region

Summer wouldn’t be complete without a glass of wine or a cold beer, but data show that alcohol preferences vary state by state. When looking at these trends by region, certain vacation areas have clear preferences when it came to booze. Liquor is the big winner in Miami, which sold a daily average of $3,000. People in Los Angeles might be known for watching what they eat, but they sure do love their beer: this city edges out every other one when it comes to beer sales, selling over $1,500 worth of it per day.

For wine, Nashville is the place to visit and order a glass of Sauv Blanc or Rosé it’s number one when it comes to wine sales during the summertime, selling 25 percent more per day than the next highest city.

Vacation Wars

There’s a plethora of places to visit during the summertime, and while tourists have their go-to spots, certain destinations go head-to-head over booze and food sales:

• Myrtle Beach vs. Charleston: Beer lovers and cocktail connoisseurs looking to vacation in the Carolinas opt for Myrtle Beach over Charleston, as Myrtle Beach has historically sold 86 percent more beer and nearly a hundred more liquor items per day than its southern neighbor.

• New Orleans vs. Nashville: It’s a tight race between New Orleans and Nashville, but visitors save more money on food and booze when visiting Nashville. Both cities sell comparable amounts of liquor items daily, but Nashville’s daily sales average $620 to New Orleans’ $887. When it comes to food, most people were visiting the big easy for booze: the city sold on average 22 percent less food items than Nashville.

• Hamptons vs. The Cape: These two popular east coast destinations are neck and neck when it comes to beverage sales, but as it turns out, the question comes down to whether tourists prefer beverages off the vine. Data show restaurants on the Cape sell an average of 14 percent more wine than its New York counterpart, but restaurants in the Hamptons made 23 percent more in daily liquor sales than those in Massachusetts.

It pays for restaurant owners to keep their eye on these trends to help predict what food and alcohol items will help increase their margins during this busy time of year.