Off-premise and delivery options are becoming important drivers across the industry in 2019, as 38 percent of U.S. adults, including 50 percent of Millennials, indicate they are more likely to have restaurant food delivered than they were two years ago, according to the National Restaurant Association's annual industry report.
Nearly four in 10 restaurant operators plan to invest more in off-premise dining this year. Six in 10 family-dining, casual-dining, and fast-casual operators report that their takeout sales are higher than they were two years ago. A majority of casual-dining, family-dining, and fast-casual operators say their delivery sales are higher than they were two years ago, while fewer than one in 10 say their delivery sales have declined.
Technology is playing an important role in the rise of off-premise dining, particularly as restaurants look to build their business among Millennials and younger consumers. More than eight in 10 restaurant operators agree that the use of technology in a restaurant provides a competitive advantage, and many are planning to ramp up their investments in technology in 2019. A majority of operators in each of the industry's six major segments say they plan to devote more resources to both social media and electronic marketing in 2019 and a majority plan to devote more resources to customer-facing, service-based technology, such as online or app ordering, reservations, mobile payment, or delivery management.
Overall, 2019 restaurant industry sales are projected to reach $863 billion, and restaurants are expected to add 1.6 million new jobs by 2029. Approximately half of restaurant operators rate their business as stronger than two years ago, according to the report.
Related: GrubMarket Raises $25M for Growth; DoorDash Launches Initiative to Support Immigrant-Owned Restaurants.
from Specialty Food News http://bit.ly/2uW6rKz
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