By Lorrie Baumann
Supermarkets in general aren't getting a lot of loyalty from their shoppers these days, and restaurateurs are starting to think that if consumers are happy to buy ready-prepared food in supermarkets, they might also be willing to buy fresh, uncooked items in restaurants. Taking that business away from grocers might be an important new revenue stream for restaurateurs in the future, said Hudson Reihle, Senior Vice President of the National Restaurant Association's Research and Knowledge Group.
More than 30 percent of consumers say that they shop for their groceries in four or more stores, and almost half of all adults who took part in a recent survey by the restaurant association say they would buy fresh, uncooked food items from restaurants. Young adults are even more likely than their seniors to consider their favorite restaurant as a source for uncooked food, with more than six out of ten 18- to 34-year olds saying that they would do that, Riehle said.
Restaurateurs used to figure that their competition came from other restaurants within their neighborhood. These days, they're competing, not just with other restaurants nearby but also with grocery stores, convenience stores and anyone else who wants a piece of the 13 percent of the average person' income that gets spent for food. The restaurant industry's share of the average consumer's food dollar is now 47 percent, up from 25 percent in 1955. That proportion will continue to edge up over the decade ahead, according to Riehle, as employment growth means more people with less time to prepare meals at home and more spending power as well.
In this dog-eat-dog marketplace, restaurateurs are responding by offering more healthful options on their menus, particularly their children's menus, which are getting a lot of attention from chefs this year, said Annika Stensson, Director of Research Communications for the National Restaurant Association. She cited research showing that about 80 percent of consumers say that they're finding more healthful options on restaurant menus now than they did two years ago. About three quarters of consumers say that they'd be more likely to visit a restaurant that offers healthy options, she said, and seven out of 10 consumers say that they're ordering more healthy items when they dine out than they did two years ago.
They're also offering more local food options, since seven out of 10 consumers say that they're more likely to visit a restaurant that offers local food, Stensson said, adding that more than half of consumers also say that they'd be more likely to visit a restaurant that offers organic or otherwise eco-friendly options.
Restaurant operators agree that they're hearing more of their customers asking for locally-produced food, and the industry's top menu trends for 2015 among restaurants that provide table service include more locally-sourced meats, seafood and produce. Both table service restaurants and limited-service restaurants also say that they're already changing their menus to offer healthier options on their children's menus. Over the next five years, we can expect restaurants to be paying even more attention to offering healthier options and sustainably-produced, locally-sourced food on their menus as Americans continue to demand those things, Stensson said.
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