A quick overview of the evolution of the restaurant sector and its new trends for the year 2021.
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8 Trends to Watch for the Restaurant Industry in 2021
1. Delivery and takeaway sales set to be established
Already present in our review of catering trends for 2020 , meal delivery is a market set to continue, whatever the health situation.
According to Deloitte, the food delivery market will grow by 10% per year to reach $25 billion in Europe by 2023. One of the drivers of this exponential growth? Food delivery apps (Deliveroo, Just East, UberEats).
The increasing use of these meal delivery platforms during the COVID-19 period (for information, ⅓ of Belgians and 27% of Swiss respondents said they used delivery and takeaway more than before the outbreak of COVID-19 ) combined with their efficiency is one of the strong points of this continued growth.
While a number of restaurants are trying to adapt by offering their germany whatsapp number own delivery services, others are responding by developing special “takeout and delivery” menus or using software that syncs orders from delivery platforms with their POS system .
When we know that nearly 80% of 18-39 year-olds order meals for delivery at least once a week, meal delivery and the implementation of take-out sales appear to be an obvious trend in the context of a health crisis that is likely to continue.
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2. The pinnacle of contactless technology
To meet customers' new expectations for social distancing and hygiene, restaurants will need to adapt with digital solutions that meet this new standard.
Contactless payments or QR codes , which allow customers to directly consult the menu and place orders from their mobile, will be very popular tools among users. One of our surveys revealed that more than 8% of Belgians and 7% of Swiss say they are ready to return to restaurants if they have the possibility to access an online menu via a QR code on the table .
The implementation of QR codes and contactless payments should be an even more lasting trend as it presents many advantages for restaurateurs: accelerated table service, freeing up time for servers who can focus on customers, etc.
The digitalization of the restaurant industry is not just about contactless order taking and payments: kitchen order management is also a sector affected by “contactless” . From taking orders on a tablet to displaying orders on a kitchen display screen , contactless technology puts the traditional back and forth and paper tickets in the closet.