If you were hoping that kale would drop off the foodie radar anytime soon, you’ll be holding your breath a while longer. But if you want to get a jump on what’s next, this update from Produce News shares some interesting trend predictions coming out of the foodservice industry, including new “it” herbs like epazote and Thai basil, a greater emphasis on Asian dishes and similar ethnic cuisines, and a continuing trend toward sustainability and hyper-local ingredients.

Read the full article here: Surprising Trend Predictions From Some of the Nation’s Chefs

The bar area is becoming increasingly attractive as a more fun and social place to dine than restaurants’ traditional tables. With this trend comes a new revitalization of bar designs, as documented in this post by Restaurant Hospitality. Many restaurants are choosing to redesign their bar areas to attract more customers and radiate an atmosphere of cool.

Read the full article here: Bar Designs That Tap Into the New Counter Culture

The farm-to-table trend isn’t just becoming trendy in the restaurant industry, it’s also making its also starting to make its way through the school system. This post from FoodService Director details a new initiative from a school in California that teaches students the basics of farming, and allow them to taste the fruits of their hard work in the cafeteria.

Read the full article here: California Farm-to-Cafeteria Program Teaches Students How to Farm

More than half of Americans drink coffee at least once a day, every day. But is your restaurant capitalizing on consumers’ caffeine obsession? This post from Nation’s Restaurant News offers some tips for boosting your coffee sales in-store, from offering free samples to entice potential buyers, to creating a one-of-a-kind coffee “cocktail” with specialty ingredients to get their attention.

Read the full article here: Coffee 101: Higher Sales in Store

People love small things; miniature candy bars, tiny hotel soaps, individual condiment bottles, you name it. And the same thing applies when it comes to petite-sized cocktails. This post from FSR Magazine explains the phenomenon behind going small, especially as it relates to your restaurant bar, and how it can actually help to boost sales.

Read the full article here: Mini Cocktails Encourage Multi Orders

Though there’s still some debate out over how many people actually suffer gluten intolerance and how many use it as an excuse to unnecessarily cut calories, there’s a new pill out that will give celiac sufferers the opportunity to indulge in some long-overdue pizza and beer, minus any unfortunate consequences. Shiftgig has the scoop on the new clinical offering.

Read the full article here: New Pill Allows Gluten Intolerance Sufferers to Consume Pizza and Beer

It seems that consumers are doing everything on mobile these days, from ordering to paying and leaving reviews. Restaurant Hospitality has shared a list of some of the best apps for restaurants to use to stay connected to their customers, and provide a better user experience. Our favorite on the list? An app the detects repeat visitors as they walk in your door so you can learn more about their dining habits.

Read the full article here: Kick Apps: 5 Cool Digital Tools for Restaurants