Amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, consumer relationships with restaurants continue to evolve. As consumers gain more confidence in the industry, expectations are rising. Although restaurants appear first in line for the discretionary dollar across the hospitality and leisure sector, many restaurants will need to continue pivoting to keep pace with evolving consumer sentiment.
As the adoption of off-premise meals has grown during the pandemic, consumers are beginning to branch out into other segments. Operators should reevaluate their off-premise channels for continuous improvement, as tactics that were not successful in April may gain more traction in today’s environment. There is significant opportunity for restaurants to continue to build share back from at-home via off-premise models, as consumers feel more confident around exposure risk and the end of the crisis runway looks long.
At a glance
- Pickup continues to beat out delivery
- Consumer sentiment toward dining out has worsened during reopening
- The habits of diverging consumer groups are solidifying