Global food preferences are evolving. Today, diners want meals that are not just delicious but also sustainable, healthy, and creative. Farm-to-table restaurants deliver on all these fronts.

However, running a farm-to-table restaurant comes with its own set of challenges that can only be overcome with the best technological solutions at your disposal. In this blog, we will discuss what a farm-to-table restaurant is, the challenges it faces, and how an advanced restaurant management solution can help achieve success.  

What is Farm-to-Table?

Farm-to-table is one of the most captivating trends in the restaurant industry. Just imagine a traditional restaurant with one major difference: it sources all ingredients from local farmers. Farm-to-table restaurants have an edge over other restaurants as they refrain from preserved ingredients and offer dishes prepared from fresh produce.  

In addition to supporting sustainability, farm-to-table helps local farmers and communities. With the increasing preference for health-conscious choices, farm-to-table is steadily becoming the go-to for the new generation.  

Why Farm-to-Table Restaurants Are Growing  

Local appetites are shifting towards sustainable and ethically sourced foods. We’re seeing increasing demand for transparency in sourcing, prompting us to partner more closely with local farmers. To reflect these trends, I’ll be incorporating more plant-based options, highlighting local ingredients, and offering dishes that cater to health-conscious diners.  

• Kayla Pfeiffer, Owner of Bicyclette Cookshop in Naples, Florida (Forbes)

Over the past few years, customers have begun to realize the importance of sustainable food choices. According to a survey by the International Food Information Council, 31% of customers prioritize sustainability while making food decisions. This evolving mindset has led to the concept of farm-to-table restaurants.  

Let’s see the reasons that are making farm-to-table one of the most impactful trends of contemporary dining.  

Customers Demand Transparency

The modern generation, especially Gen Z, wants to know what goes into their meals. They read ingredient labels, research restaurant sourcing policies, and care about food ethics.  

Farm-to-table restaurants give them exactly this. When farm-to-table restaurants highlight their partnership with local farmers, it shows guests your support for the local economy and your commitment to environmentally friendly practices.  

Health-Conscious Eating is the Norm

According to the National Restaurant Association, 48% of millennials and 40% of Gen Zs prefer locally sourced food. Since the pandemic, people have begun incorporating healthy eating practices into their daily lives. They look for food choices that provide nutrition and immunity without compromising taste.  

Farm-to-table restaurants give them exactly that. They prepare palatable dishes with non-processed ingredients and fresh produce, straight from the farm.    

Awareness Towards Sustainability

Farm-to-table restaurants are making a significant contribution to the global sustainability movement. A majority of new-gen customers seeking ways to make environmentally friendly choices see farm-to-table as a medium to make this contribution. They are avoiding restaurants that depend on industrial farming, long-distance transportation, and plastic packaging, all of which contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.  

People Desire Local Experiences

For contemporary diners, experiences matter as much as the food itself. They want to hear stories about the dishes, where they came from, and the people responsible for them.

Farm-to-table restaurants give them a sense of inclusion. When guests hear a dish’s backstory that the goat cheese in their appetizer came from a nearby family farm or that the herbs in their cocktail were grown in the restaurant’s rooftop garden, it creates a strong emotional connection.  

The Biggest Challenges in Running a Farm-to-Table Restaurant  

The idea of operating a farm-to-table restaurant can lead to high profits and brand enhancement. However, it comes with certain specific challenges. Let’s discuss the major ones.  

Supply Chain Disruptions  

Conventionally, restaurants source their raw materials from large distributors, who are well-equipped to handle all their needs. Moreover, these distributors are responsible for logistics, storage, and delivery.  

On the contrary, the local distributors do not have such an established setup. Hence, farm-to-table restaurants generally need to source their ingredients from multiple vendors. It can lead to frequent delays, miscommunication, and inconsistent quality.    

Seasonal Dependence

Large distributors source ingredients from multiple locations and ensure their availability throughout the year. However, farm-to-table depends on the local harvest, which can be quite unpredictable. Any unexpected weather disruptions, like floods, can cause delays.  

Moreover, an ingredient available in the summer may not be available in winter. For instance, a summer menu rich in tomatoes, zucchini, and sweet corn may need a complete overhaul by fall when squash, kale, and root vegetables dominate. These seasonal fluctuations can cause inconsistent menus, which leads to customer dissatisfaction.  

Elevated Costs

Local farms often have higher production costs than large-scale industrial producers, which translates to higher ingredient prices for restaurants. However, guests expect fair prices. Hence, it can sometimes become challenging to maintain profitability. According to IFIC, 46% want to adopt sustainable food choices but are reluctant when priced unreasonably.    

Another cost factor to consider is that the prices of local produce fluctuate with the seasonal variations. Moreover, if you are buying from multiple suppliers, you have to invest more in logistics.    

Food Wastage    

Farm-to-table restaurants use preservative-free, locally sourced ingredients, which have a shorter shelf life than mass-produced ingredients. Hence, these items must be managed well to reduce food wastage. If you order in excess, you risk wastage. On the other hand, if you order less, guests may not get what they came for.      

Scalability Issues

When your restaurant grows, you also need to scale the supply chain. Large-scale distributors can fulfill these requirements easily. However, in the case of farm-to-table restaurants, this means managing more distributors and logistics. It can lead to inconsistent ingredient quality and supplier management issues.

NOVA: New-Gen Tech to Power Farm-to-Table Restaurants

NOVA is an AI-native restaurant management solution that empowers your farm-to-table restaurants with intelligent analytics and automation. It is a one-stop solution that fulfills all your Front of House and Back of House requirements, including POS, handhelds, kitchen display systems, payroll, CRM, loyalty programs, reporting, and more.  

Adopt NOVA to:

Optimize Waste Management

NOVA’s AI-native platform optimizes inventory management with predictive analysis and advanced reporting. It offers real-time inventory tracking and automated prompts to help you identify items that need to be pushed before they lose quality. NOVA can also predict demand based on collated data to reduce food wastage. Moreover, advanced reports, such as inventory and waste management, help you prevent over- and understocking.  

Reduce Costs

NOVA restaurant management platform helps farm-to-table establishments cut down costs, thereby increasing the restaurant’s profit percentage. It helps in optimizing -  

Labor Costs  

NOVA’s workforce scheduling feature optimizes shift management to reduce labor costs. Its AI-based predictive analysis issues automated prompts to manage shifts based on demand.  

Training Costs

Training and onboarding costs constitute a significant part of labor costs. NOVA’s user interface is built on an image-first principle, which enables employees to adopt it instantly. It helps restaurants reduce onboarding time and training costs.  

Recommended Reading: How NOVA's Easy-to-Use Interface Transformed Restaurant Operations

Integration Costs

Restaurants using more than four tools incur $18,200 annually in integration fees and IT support. NOVA eliminates these costs associated with fragmented tools and offers a comprehensive restaurant management solution. NOVA includes every FoH and BoH tool you need to run a farm-to-table restaurant efficiently, from POS and kitchen display systems to CRM and loyalty programs.    

Boost Sales  

NOVA enables farm-to-table restaurants to boost sales with:

Tableside Ordering

NOVA’s handhelds enable servers to take orders right at the table. They can enter special requests, suggest add-ons, and receive payments from the handhelds, eliminating the rounds to the counter POS. It increases table turns and increases sales.  

AI-powered Marketing

NOVA’s marketing feature enables you to launch personalized campaigns in three easy steps. It offers AI-based suggestions that identify customer preferences, most-sold items, and more to ensure a successful campaign.    

Upselling

NOVA’s AI-native platform helps you identify upselling opportunities by analyzing customer data, like order history and meal preferences. Servers get automated prompts on their handhelds for combo or add-on suggestions. Restaurants can also run AI-powered marketing campaigns with promotions and discounts for repeat customers.  

Elevate Guest Experiences

Guest experience can make or break a farm-to-table restaurant. NOVA ensures a delightful guest experience through -  

Personalized Services

Personalized services make guests feel valued. With NOVA’s AI-based operations, servers can offer item suggestions based on customers’ dietary preferences. Moreover, they can provide discounts and offers in real time.  

Smart Loyalty Programs

NOVA’s personalized loyalty programs are integrated across all digital ordering systems, including the webstore, mobile app, and POS. It gives customers real-time visibility of their rewards points, which they can redeem on any platform.  

Recommended Reading: How NOVA's AI-Driven Loyalty Programs Increased Restaurant Traffic by 60% During Non-Peak Hours

Waitlist Management  

A restaurant must ensure a delightful guest experience even when they are waiting. NOVA ensures real-time updates of the customers in the queue as soon as they check in. You can create custom messages, like Order your usual appetizer now and get a 5% discount! to keep the guest engaged and increase upsells.    

Course Pacing  

NOVA empowers restaurants to set course pacing to ensure customers get them at the right time. NOVA’s POS and kitchen display system are integrated, which means kitchen staff know when to start preparations.  

Farm-to-Table Restaurants Are the Future

With the current generation prioritizing healthy and sustainable food choices, the farm-to-table restaurant industry is surely going to see exponential growth. However, to ensure continued success, restaurateurs must adapt technologies that optimize operational efficiency, reduce costs, increase revenue, and ensure guest satisfaction.    

If you are running a farm-to-table restaurant or planning to open one, schedule your free demo today to try the NOVA restaurant management platform to experience hassle-free operations.  

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