In 2020, the foodservice industry experienced its sharpest sales decline in history, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Signs indicate sales are on the rise within the sector. However, ongoing labor shortages may be preventing some operators from reaching their pre-pandemic volume level.
Turnover rates have reached 144% at limited-service establishments and 106% at full-service restaurants—which are operating with six fewer employees in the back of the house and roughly three less front-of-house workers than in 2019.
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Topics:
Technology,
Noncommercial,
Promotions,
Family Restaurant,
Business & Industry,
Healthcare,
Commercial,
Casual Dining Restaurant,
Grab-and-Go,
Labor,
Foodservice Industry,
Menu,
Customer Experience,
Menu Strategy,
Retail,
Sales & Profitability,
Recruitment & Retention,
COVID-19,
Coronavirus,
Off-Premises,
Limited Time Offers (LTOs),
Prepackaged,
Digital/Online Ordering,
Touchless,
On-Premises,
Foodservice,
Workplace,
Contactless Payments
Over the past year and a half, operators have addressed emerging pandemic-related consumer preference, safety and other needs by introducing innovative menu and operational changes—and a number have shown some staying power.
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Topics:
Technology,
Promotions,
Marketing & Communications,
Mobile,
Independents,
Family Restaurant,
Takeout,
Business & Industry,
Quick Service Restaurant,
Casual Dining Restaurant,
Ice Cream/Yogurt Shop,
Delivery,
Meal Kits,
Donuts/Pancakes/Waffles,
Cookies/Bars/Snacks,
Ice Cream Desserts,
Cakes/Cupcakes,
Breakfast,
Dessert,
Snack,
Holidays,
Chocolate,
CHIPS AHOY!,
OREO,
Family,
Cookies,
Dessert Ingredients,
Grab-and-Go,
Labor,
Convenience,
Foodservice Industry,
Menu,
Creative Inspiration,
Customer Experience,
Consumer,
Flavors & Ingredients,
Menu Strategy,
Food & Beverage,
Sales & Profitability,
COVID-19,
Coronavirus,
Curbside Pickup,
Fast-Casual Restaurant,
Off-Premises,
Consumer Behavior,
Value,
Limited Time Offers (LTOs),
Nostalgia,
Digital/Online Ordering,
Touchless,
On-Premises,
Foodservice,
Sweet,
Fresh
Roiled by the pandemic, 2020 became the year of transformation for the foodservice industry. Regroup, reassess and reinvent have become the gotta-get-it-done directives for foodservice operators, topping the menu of must-dos for moving forward.
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Topics:
Snacking,
Trends,
Family Restaurant,
Takeout,
Delivery,
Foodservice Industry,
Sales & Profitability,
snacks,
Operations,
COVID-19,
Coronavirus,
Fast-Casual Restaurant,
Off-Premises
The pandemic put a lot on the restaurant industry’s plate. Dine-in restrictions and shutdowns. Safety concerns. The seismic shift to off-premises channels. The rise of third-party delivery and fallout from delivery fees. The mad dash to digital integration and online and in-app ordering. It all added up to a perfect storm of unparalleled challenges, and everyone—from independent operators to major chains—scrambled for ways to weather it.
The impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant business has proved far greater than any prior recession, according to data from market research firm The NPD Group. In the third quarter of 2020, restaurant transactions dropped 27%,1 and foodservice operator spend was down 19%.2 Home cooking heated up last year, driving a 31% increase in sales growth for small kitchen appliances. Eighty-two percent of meals were sourced from home, and 70% of restaurant dinners were eaten at home.3
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Topics:
Trends,
Quick Service Restaurant,
Delivery,
Foodservice Industry,
COVID-19,
Coronavirus,
Off-Premises,
Third-Party Delivery (3PD)
Now that the pandemic has made well-being a top-of-mind concern for consumers, foodservice is sharpening its focus on nutrition and the functional benefits of better-for-you food options.
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Topics:
Trends,
Better-for-You,
Foodservice Industry,
Health & Wellness,
COVID-19,
Coronavirus
