Food and Beverage

While the impacts of COVID-19 are still unfolding, it’s increasingly clear that food and beverage companies will need to continue to evolve their strategies when it comes to inventory management, real estate decisions, automation, packaging and sustainability among other things.

More than 9 in 10 restaurant operators experienced supply delays or shortages of key food or beverage items in recent months.

Four in five operators said their restaurant experienced a decline in customer demand for indoor on-premises dining due to the delta variant.

The latest The Why? Behind the Dine reveals shoppers are now ordering carry-out (27%) or eating drive thru (23%) more than they did pre-pandemic

Many Pandemic-Borne Trends Here to Stay

With indoor capacity limited throughout much of the pandemic, the ability to offer outdoor dining is a lifeline for many restaurants. In a September 2021 survey fielded by the Association, 65% of restaurant operators said they offered on-premises outdoor dining in a space such as a patio, deck or sidewalk. That’s up from 57% in April 2021, and roughly on par with the 67% who reported similarly in September 2020.

Restaurant spending by travelers and visitors remained dampened this summer, and the fall season is looking even more challenging.

Restaurant sales growth stalled in August, as many consumers changed their behavior due to the delta variant.

Positive trends improve industry outlook; uncertainty and waning consumer confidence could impact long-term rebuilding

In the wake of the coronavirus, and the issues it created – including a labor shortage – hoteliers are working to get their arms around food and beverage service. That topic, and many more, were discussed by a quartet of industry professionals during a recent Profit Talks webcast moderated by David Eisen, HotStats’ Director of Hotel Intelligence, Americas