Trends, Innovations & Insights

Locked-down consumers may be craving professionally made meals and restaurant food, but good food isn’t the only thing they like about restaurants, free delivery and meal deals are also in the mix. The following consumer sentiments could help you attract their business in the future:

• 69% of consumers feel prices are rising more at grocery and convenience stores. Far fewer consumers feel the same about dining out, giving restaurants an opportunity to win guests based on price. Source: COVID-19 Report 37: Sticker Shock (Datassential, Oct. 16, 2020)
• More than half (57%) of consumers found more room in their budget for restaurant food in October than they had in the prior six months. Source: COVID-19 Report 37: Sticker Shock (Datassential, Oct. 16, 2020)
• 1 in 4 consumers are new to working from home, which presents an opportunity for restaurants to appeal to their new need for daytime food or beverages. Source: COVID-19 Report 33: Life Goes On (Datassential, Sept. 4, 2020)
• 28% of consumers say free delivery would entice them to order meals or snacks from a restaurant while working from home; 24% say special meal deals and coupons would have the same effect. Source: COVID-19 Report 33: Life Goes On (Datassential, Sept. 4, 2020)
• 25% of consumers say healthier menu options would encourage them to order from a restaurant while working from home. Source: COVID-19 Report 33: Life Goes On (Datassential, Sept. 4, 2020)

These strategies may appeal to homebound consumers who have come to view cooking as a repetitive chore and are craving restaurant food.

Millennials’ tastes for culinary adventure and social responsibility are changing (for the better) what subsequent generations find appetizing.

These strategies will help your full-service operation boost food and beverage sales and increase customer satisfaction.

Food and beverage bundles may be the vehicle, but the pairing strategy is all about delivering a great experience. Here’s why:

Experience Matters

• A positive experience encourages 60% of consumers to visit a restaurant more frequently. Source: Deloitte
• Sixty-five percent of U.S. consumers find a positive experience with a brand to be more influential than great advertising. Source: PwC
• Sixty-seven percent of customers will pay more for a great experience. Source: Salesforce
• Seven out of 10 U.S. consumers say they have spent more money to do business with a company that delivers great service. Source: American Express

Sixty percent of customers say unfriendly service and 46% of customers say a staff’s lack of knowledge are experiences that would prompt them to take their business elsewhere. Source: PwC

Experts forecast sustainable seafood including fish and shellfish coming to restaurant menus in 2020.

Want to serve up seafood in the coming year, but can’t decide what species to menu? Try a tried-and-true favorite fish or shellfish, or experiment with one of many species increasingly swimming onto menus.

Before restaurants include more plant-based foods on the menu, they’ll want to know more about who’s going to be ordering and eating them.

Experience the power of putting plant-based foods front and center on menus.

National Seafood Month provides restaurants with special license to highlight seafood every October. For those who need additional reasons to showcase fish and shellfish other than just a government-designated “holiday,” here are a few more: