Asking consumers this month how many times in the past week they had ordered food from a restaurant (excluding fast food) for takeout or delivery, Technomic discovered that 54% of the respondents had placed such orders at least once. Seventeen percent had ordered twice, 5% -three times and 3% order takeout or delivery four times or more, Technomic found in its survey.
The results show that the opportunity is ripe for restaurants to grow takeout business and foodservice distributors should be aware of new revenue channels for themselves.
Industry statistics show that takeout is a fast-growing component of casual dining and other full-service restaurants. Notably:
Takeout sales in full-service restaurants are estimated at $14 billion in 2004, approaching 10% of total sales; and
Over the past 3 years, takeout sales at full-service restaurants have grown about 8% per year, roughly twice the rate of overall sales growth.
Technomic also asked respondents to consider what they would have done if they hadn't ordered takeout or delivery the last time they chose that option. Remarkably, 76% would not have eaten a restaurant meal at all. Fully 55% would have eaten food prepared at home, 21% would have eaten leftovers at home, 11% would have purchased food from a fast-food restaurant, 4% would have eaten at another full-service restaurant, 3% would have eaten at the same full-service restaurant and 3% would have skipped the meal.
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