ingredients

Pressure to improve the healthfulness of kids meals and restaurant fare in general, along with the influence of the growing Asian, Hispanic, Boomer and Millennial population groups are among the factors that will shape the restaurant industry in 2012 and beyond, according to The NPD Group.

Bacon mania is about to reshape restaurants’ dessert and drink menus, but the dining world may yet be spared the likes of pork belly pie or bacon mojitos, suggests new research from Packaged Facts. The researcher attributes the bacon craze to consumers’ embrace of a “deep smoky flavor,” and predicts that’s the element likely to show up in treats and cocktails.

When it comes to finishing off a meal with something sweet, most restaurants offer a menu of familiar favorites. But within those favorites, pastry chefs and dessert pros allow themselves to get a bit adventurous.