3 Service Principles for the Post-Millennial Generation

If restaurants are looking to attract a younger crowd, it makes sense to provide exactly what these types of customers want. But that can prove challenging when there’s a diverse set of needs to be met.

Generation Z – commonly referred to as Gen Z – crave a few different factors when it comes to their food.

Teenagers, as well as those in their early twenties, are conscious eaters. Unlike previous generations, these consumers grew up with an abundance of nutrition information at their fingertips. They were also raised in the age of instant results, so they expect speedy service without paying a lot for it.

Aside from a technological overload leading to unrealistic expectations, the digital age brought on other challenges for Gen Z.

An onslaught of mental health problems associated with social media and screen time are a growing part of these young people’s lives. The situation calls for a much-needed break from the digital chaos, especially during mealtime.

Gen Z wants wellness on demand

A report from Statista finds that nearly 3 in 10 of Gen Zers count calories, 4 in 10 worry about how their food consumption impacts the environment, and their main priority when food shopping is overall affordability.

Quality and whole ingredients are clearly important to these new foodies. Many stay away from sugar or additives, and they tend to opt for sustainable products.

Toast, a cloud-based restaurant management software company, also tracked the latest food trends for Gen Z. They confirm that Gen Zers want to eat healthy food – they also want it prepared quickly, and they want it at a fair price.

Then there’s a predictable desire for convenience  – Gen Z wants the best quality delivered fast.

Despite this need for speed being a symptom of the technology they’ve grown up with, younger diners actually want to (and should) unplug during their meals. Yes, even the Internet Generation needs a break from screens and social media and status updates.

So how do restaurants, coffee shops, and cafés deliver all of this at once?

How to serve the next wave of guests

It seems that Gen Z wants opposing things from their dining experience.

How is it possible to serve high-quality food at low-end prices while providing speedy service in a slow-paced environment? Especially with limited resources, it can seem impossible.

It may not happen all at once, but restaurants can start catering to Gen Z – and impress every other guest – by making some minor adjustments.

Cultivating each aspect of Gen Z’s dining wish list, from food preparation to dining atmosphere, can appeal to guests from every generation. Here’s an opportunity to take stock in current operations and reprioritize company goals, all while creating more buzz and bringing in more revenue.

1. Serve quality food from sustainable sources – and announce it to the world! It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, but rethink suppliers and explore other local options. This may cost more upfront, but it’s an investment in a renewed menu and mission. Marketing the switch to sustainable far and wide allows communities to spread the word to younger, socially conscious diners.
2. Implement a workflow that gets food from the kitchen to the table fast. Maybe it’s in the form of a refresher training session, or it might be time to come up with a new system in the kitchen. There’s plenty of ways to streamline food preparation. Managers can also consider a better way for the kitchen to communicate with the front of house to speed up service.
3. Create a relaxing environment. This might include stocking up on books and board games, or bringing in a piano for live entertainment. Encourage an atmosphere free from laptops and cell phones so guests will associate the space with real-life social interaction, or find solace in some alone time. A perfect example is Lion Café in Tokyo, which faces chairs towards speakers – not each other – so guests can focus on the relaxing classical music playing while sipping drinks.

Move forward with the Gen Z mission

These aren’t the only steps restaurants can take to bring in a new generation of guests.

There are plenty of ways to cater to a younger crowd. Whether it’s rethinking ingredients, inspiring staff to work more efficiently, or covering outlets and asking diners to put away their phones and enjoy the experience of reality, you can’t go wrong with a purposeful mission.

As long as there’s importance placed on a new kind of wellness, a new generation of guests will show up to partake.