Consumers have been eating more frequently throughout the day; 64% regularly replace at least one meal with a snack, according to Mondelēz International’s annual State of Snacking™ report.
Topics: Millennials, Snacking, Appetizers/Snacks, Gen Z, Creative Inspiration, Branded Ingredients, Consumer Behavior, Foodservice, Healthful Snacking, State of SnackingTM Report, Comfort, Ingredients
Smaller, Faster, Smarter: Automated Restaurant Formats Feed the Future of Foodservice
Spurred on by the pandemic, the foodservice industry shifted from sampling automation technologies to feasting on them as touchless solutions to labor shortages and platforms for safer, more streamlined operations.
Topics: Technology, Trends, Takeout, Sales & Profitability, Operations, Off-Premises, Touchless
Can-Do Kiosks: Major Chains Tap Kiosk Technology to Alleviate Labor Shortage
Foodservice operators may be feasting on opportunities as the pandemic retreats, but economic challenges persist. One of the toughest to swallow is the labor shortage.
September was ripe with a robust harvest of hiring for restaurant jobs, signaling a light at the end of the tunnel. But while job seekers filled more than 60,000 positions then, October stood in stark contrast. Just 6,000 were filled in October—less than a tenth of the hires for September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.1
Topics: Technology, Trends, Quick Service Restaurant, Sales & Profitability, Operations, Fast-Casual Restaurant, Off-Premises, Digital/Online Ordering
Yummy Yesteryear: Nostalgia Comforts Consumers, Nourishes Sales
All’s well that ends in wellness seems to be the mantra of the moment for foodservice operators. In an increasingly wellness-oriented market, where the pandemic has heightened consumer awareness of the connection between food and function, the feeding frenzy of buzz for better-for-you foodservice trends makes perfect sense.
Topics: Better-for-You, Health & Wellness, Sales & Profitability, Operations, Fast-Food Restaurants, Comfort
Food plays an integral role in a number of fall and winter celebrations—Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are the top holidays consumers associate with special dishes, flavors and eating occasions.1
Topics: Promotions, Marketing & Communications, Takeout, Meal Kits, Dessert, Holidays, Seasonal, NILLA Wafers, NABISCO GRAHAMS, Customer Experience, Menu Strategy, Limited Time Offers (LTOs)