Many consumers are now carrying out or using drive-thru more as 53% of consumers are dining out less often than they were pre-pandemic, but the motivation for cooking at home is dropping.
These consumer behavior shifts can affect how suppliers, buyers and retailers cut, package and sell their fresh produce.
And 70% of diners have recently ordered from a food truck, pop-up restaurant or a ghost kitchen, according to latest The Why? Behind The Dine report from sales and marketing firm Acosta and its foodservice arm, CORE Foodservice.
The data was collected August 1-6 with online surveys using the company’s proprietary shopper community.
The survey revealed 27% of consumers are ordering carry-out food, and 23% are eating from a drive-thru.
“It is no secret that COVID-19 upended foodservice, but the industry is expected to rebound within the next three to four years,” CORE Foodservice CEO John Goodman said in the release.
Technomic research indicates restaurants and bars could recover as early as 2024, with the help of diners’ growing interest in finding “high-quality, safe and cost-efficient alternatives to home-cooked meals,” he said.
“The road to recovery will be difficult however, as restaurants now face significant operational challenges caused by widespread labor shortages and rising food costs.”
Other findings include:
- 75% percent of shoppers say they have recently eaten carry-out, dined at a restaurant and/or eaten prepared foods from the grocery store;
- Rising food costs are a concern for restaurants and consumers alike, with 44% of diners noticing higher menu prices;
- 51% of consumers say they go out to eat when they do not feel like cooking, and 60-70% of respondents eat out at least twice a month;
- 82% percent of consumers say they are looking for restaurants that offer a wide variety of menu items when eating out; and the same percentage want to try new items when dining out;
- 81% of consumers say they often choose items that are on special when eating out;
- About half of consumers say they feel more comfortable eating out now that vaccines are readily available, but as COVID-19 infections continue to rise, almost 50% of shoppers say they will either stop going out to eat entirely or switch to carry-out or delivery;
- 23% of shoppers say they will dine out regardless;
- About half of diners say they want continued COVID-19 safety precautions in restaurants, including mask requirements for kitchen and wait staff; and
- 75% of diners want tamper-proof or safety-sealed packaging when ordering takeout or delivery.