- Contents
- *Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- COVID-19: market context
What you need to know
Restaurants quickly evolved and pivoted to survive during the pandemic, and industry changes being made now will shape both the future of the foodservice industry and how consumers dine. The industry will contract, menus will get smaller and LSRs’ footprints will shrink. The foodservice industry will focus even more on takeout and delivery. Consumers will enjoy restaurant meals and restaurant-like experiences within the home even after the pandemic, and diners will scrutinize restaurants’ treatment of their employees and seek operators that promote equality and environmental stewardship.
Key issues covered in this Report
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The impact of COVID-19 on how consumers dine
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The importance of restaurant value in 2021
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The state of the foodservice industry in a post-pandemic landscape
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Anticipated consumer dining behaviors and practices
Definition
This Report is the first of its kind from Mintel and represents one part of a series on consumer behavior as it relates to food, drink and foodservice. The other Reports in this series include:
This Report examines the current state of the foodservice industry, changes within the industry stemming from the pandemic and how consumers will dine in a post-pandemic world.
COVID-19: market context
The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the US in January 2020. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic, and on March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency in the US.
Across the US, state-level stay-at-home orders rolled out throughout the months of March and April and remained in place through May, and in some cases June. During this time, referred to as lockdown, nonessential businesses and school districts across the nation closed or shifted to remote operations, which meant restaurants suspended dine-in service and only sold foods and beverages for takeout or delivery.
During re-emergence, all 50 states have relaxed stay-at-home orders and allowed businesses to operate with varying levels of social distancing measures in place. The continued spread of COVID-19 infections has driven some states to slow down or reverse course on reopening plans, including the resuspension of dine-in service in select cities and states in the Fall of 2020. Mintel anticipates the US will remain in a state of flux through 2021, until a vaccine is widely available.
