One of my clients runs a successful Italian restaurant that was started by his grandfather.
Many others in the same town have come and gone but his restaurant remains as popular
as ever. I asked him why his succeeded when others had failed.
He told me with a smile, ‘Well I like to think it is because the food is so good, but
it is more than that. Over time we noticed that people want different foods, different
music, even different table layouts. We keep our eyes open for new trends.’
I asked him how he anticipates trends and he told me that they are often led by
big companies or even by TV shows and movies. ‘The trick is to try something and see how
people respond. We now do cocktails because people want them. Spaghetti Bolognese has
never gone off the menu but we use more sauce now than in my granddad’s day.’ Then he
added with a twinkle, ‘These days we come to see you and you show us the future.’
From: Create Your Perfect Future: Anne Jirsch