Top 10 New Restaurant Trends

OpenTable surveyed its vast pool of restaurateur partners and VIP diners earlier this year to determine the top 10 dining trends for 2012.

Here are the fascinating findings:

86 percent of diners think sustainable food is important, and 76 percent of restaurant owners already have it on the menu.

72 percent of diners appreciate smaller portion sizes and nearly 18 percent of restaurants have reduced their dish sizes.

Although 68 percent of diners are interested in desserts that incorporate vegetables, only 25 percent of restaurant owners offer them.

Nearly nine in 10 diners (86 percent) want to hear the backstory on menu items, and almost half of restaurateurs are happy to share.

85 percent of diners love spicy food.

More than two-thirds of diners (67 percent) are all for adding technology to the dining experience (iPad menus, anyone?).

Nearly a third of restaurants (32 percent) provide bread only upon request these days, even though 61 percent of patrons say they’d prefer to have bread on the table without asking.

Three out of four diners (73 percent) like seeing fancy burgers on the fine-dining menu, but only half of restaurateurs (51 percent) have any interest in offering them.

Diners and restaurateurs agree to disagree when it comes to breakfast items on lunch and dinner menus—83 percent of diners want to see it, but 58 percent of restaurant owners have no plans to indulge them.

Three in four restaurateurs say they’re fine with children at their eateries; however, 2 out of 3 diners said they’re not fans of dining out near mini-foodies.