Off-premise market explodes
It might be considered Trend No. 1 for 2017. Some 44% of all restaurants sales come from the off-premise market, according to Technomic’s On Demand Delivery Study, powered by Ignite. Operators took on catering, drive-thru, meal kits and the biggest disruptor—delivery—in a big way. Across the board, operators from full service to fast food spent the year grappling with how to maintain brand image and quality when food is served away from the storefront, and often delivered by a third-party vendor. Operators have had to consider new store designs, platforms, technologies, logistics, staffing and more. And as consumer demand for food on demand continues, operators will continue to face new obstacles and update operations, possibly looking at ways to bring more of the delivery business in-house.