Article by Sean Arnold, Founder and Managing Partner of Terradigm Consulting at Buzzfeed
Get ready: cannabis is coming to restaurants and bars near you. Celebrity chefs and cannabis business operators are designing concepts for experiences with infused foods and beverages. These experiences will permanently and positively alter dining.
For that to happen, cannabis professionals and consumers need education on these dining experiences. They also require access to quality cannabis recipes and immersive experiences to create excellent dining opportunities. Cannabis infused restaurants and bars will thrive when cannabis professionals and the public receive proper education on this new experience.
How will consumers experience cannabis dining in the future?
Conscientious Cannabis Consumers Will Seek Quality Over Quantity for Infused Dining Experiences
As an epicurean and seasoned cannabis consultant, I know the quality of the dining experience will be vital to attracting customers to cannabis restaurants and bars. The cannabis industry has become more knowledgeable about ingredient combinations and flavor pairings to delight its consumers. As this body of knowledge continues to expand and processing technologies continue decreasing the onset times of edibles, we will see an increase in the number of cannabis chefs and mixologists showcasing their creativity and skills to attract this new class of cannabis consumers to their restaurants and bars.
Pre-Infused Ingredients Will Create Consistency in Flavors and Effects
Cannabis-infused food and beverage developers require data on their active ingredients and information on how components interact to inform the creation of successful recipes. In a similar fashion outside of cannabis, chefs rely on flavor data to develop non-infused dishes, supplementing creativity and experience with scientific data to create unique and inspiring flavor combinations. The marriage of these two industries, supported by the advancements in data collection and flavor science, is a natural progression that will expand the depth of products offered and the diversity of consumers looking to enjoy them.
Analytics on extracts gives edible operators the ability to dial-in THC doses and balance ingredients to achieve function and flavor in their recipes. Cannabis chefs and mixologists will face the same challenges working with cannabis extracts, as variability exists from one batch of extract to the next. This reality will most likely lead to the growth of a new sub-sector of manufactured infused ingredients used by chefs, mixologists, and edible manufacturers. Having access to consistent ingredients will give chefs and mixologists the ability to quickly and safely prepare functional recipes for infused foods and beverages.
Craft Formulation Will Reign for Some Chefs and Mixologists
However, chefs are creative, and buying pre-infused ingredients won’t be for everyone. The farm-to-table movement can present cannabis as another hot agriculture product to become intimately familiar with, including where it comes from and its preparation. Chefs will explore all means of incorporating this beautifully complex plant into their dishes. With so much emphasis on genetics and cultivar, the variety of flavor combinations and approaches to infusing dishes and drinks will be exciting to see and experience.
Infused beverages will play an equally important role in the dining experience. In recent years we’ve seen substantial growth in cannabis beverages. While the market share is still relatively small, the advancements in de-alcoholization technology have the potential to revolutionize cannabis-infused drinks. This technology allows brewers, wine-makers, and distillers to bring their craft and skills to the cannabis industry. Innovative beverage recipes will create cannabis infusions with the same complexities and depth of flavor as traditional cocktails, wines, and craft beers.
Immersive Cannabis Experiences Will Encourage Terroir Tourism
The development of cannabis consumption lounges is receiving attention from mainstream media outlets. Consumption lounges are an exciting opportunity for the cannabis industry; however, safety and quality concerns challenge their advancement. Cannabis restaurants and bars will face similar challenges but could become a viable alternative to consumption lounges.
The number of recreational markets in the United States continues to grow, which means the novelty of cannabis access is diminishing. As such, cultivators in geographies with unique terroirs and established appellations can offer immersive, singular experiences. Like the Napa Valley wine scene, cannabis restauranteurs could thrive in regions with abundant local craft cultivators, where collaborations can showcase the region’s offerings. As cannabis restaurants and bars emerge, areas with a high concentration of cannabis dining and immersion experiences could create destinations for cannabis tourists.
Cannabis Dining Comes With Increased Responsibility
Cannabis restaurant and bar operators must exercise care and patience as they introduce guests to the cannabis dining experience. Unlike the retail environment, consumption will happen on-site, and the experience will differ for each guest. Additionally, if some in the party do not want to consume cannabis, the institution should take extra care to ensure their dining experience is still positive. Setting expectations and providing enough education for pleasurable experiences are essential to a successful establishment.
Many consumers are new to the regulated cannabis market, let alone a cannabis dining experience. Consumers will require sufficient education on cannabis consumption in a dining establishment without feeling overwhelmed with rules or information. To build consumer confidence, establishments will benefit from finding ways to convey relevant information on menu offerings with ease and discretion. The taxonomy of cannabis strains is similar to the classification of wine varietals. Restauranteurs could use wine and beer lists layouts as templates for bridging the knowledge gap.
Staff Must Keep Patron Education and Safety Central
Servers, for their part, will do more than take orders and deliver food and drinks. They will guide guests through the menu offerings, use their vast knowledge to make suggestions, answer questions on products and ingredients, serve as the liaison between the kitchen/bar and guests, and most importantly, keep an eye on the safety and wellbeing of their patrons. Cannabis chefs, servers, and mixologists will require training and certification courses on the safe handling and serving of cannabis food and beverages, including dosing and first aid response. Restaurant and bar staff will also need general cannabis training and compliance education.
Proper dosing and dosing options should be a significant priority for chefs and mixologists. How many dishes and drinks will one person consume, and what consumption ranges are available for each menu item? How will the establishment ensure containers are appropriately labeled and tested for accuracy? Working with intoxicating elements like THC requires care and attention. Staff training will carry a lot of weight in cannabis dining establishments.
Cannabis Dining is Both Exciting and Imminent
Cannabis restaurants and bars provide an exciting frontier to experience unique products in a low-risk environment. There is immense market potential in offering these experiences, and a chance to realize that potential is awaiting the cannabis industry. It may not happen this year or next, but rest assured, cannabis restaurants and bars will come about. When they do, those who understand the responsibility of the opportunity and can deliver a seamless package of product, service, and experience will prosper.
Sean Arnold is intimately familiar with cannabis operations from the ground up, having operated and managed all facets of a vertically integrated, multi-state, cannabis food and topical manufacturing company. During his time within the industry, he has overseen the product life cycle of 26 unique cannabis-infused food and cosmetic products from concept to commercialization. His responsibilities have included facility design and construction, product research and development, process design and validation, standard operating procedures, and most importantly creating and executing quality control and safety programs.
As co-founder of Terradigm Consulting, Sean seeks to set the industry standard for comprehensive, operational and strategic support. He believes in the importance of trust, accountability, and communication with each and every client. He knows that a collaborative and collective effort is the only way to achieve sustainable success in this industry and has become a Certified Commercial Cannabis Expert (CCCE) through the Association of Certified Commercial Cannabis Experts (ACCCE).
