Fast fine dining

This week, the New York Times published its restaurant trends and takes from the year to date. 

Among the observations and gripes were people wearing flip-flops and sweatpants at a $500 tasting menu (no), the decline of QR code menus (finally), and the ubiquity of crudo (don’t hate it).

In Australia, a very different trend is taking hold. While some excellent eateries have sadly closed - RIP Longshore, Monopole, Lankan Filling Station, and especially Small’s Deli - many have opened. They just happen to overwhelmingly be fast food joints.

More than $30 billion a year is now spent in quick service restaurants, and at least one in five Australian meals is from fast food restaurants.

Global (read American) behemoths are flooding the market. Wendy's had barely cut the ribbon on its first Aussie store when it announced plans to open 200 restaurants in the next 10 years. Auntie Anne’s recently landed in Parramatta, with Five Guys, Wingstop, Jollibee, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs all either planning their first stores, or celebrating their opening.

Not to be outdone, local players such as Zeus Street Greek (100 new stores) and Guzman y Gomez (more than 800 new stores) have announced ambitious plans.

With this level of competition and expansion, it’s surely only a matter of time before fine dining and convenience collide. Prepare for crudo via self service kiosk, small plates delivered in brown paper bags, and truffle on everything. That’s a trend we can get behind.