For
years restaurant operators focused almost exclusively on one metric—getting "butts
in seats." Today, the marketplace tells a very different story.
At
the Grocerant Guru®, we've consistently said:
"The
consumer is dynamic, not static."
That
statement has never been more relevant.
Today's
consumer doesn't think in terms of restaurants versus grocery stores. They
simply ask:
"Where
can I get the best meal with the least amount of friction?"
That
single shift has permanently transformed food retail.
The
fastest-growing opportunities today sit squarely in the Ready-2-Eat (RTE)
and Heat-N-Eat (HNE) fresh prepared foods category. Consumers are
purchasing restaurant-quality meals to enjoy wherever they happen to be—at
home, at work, at youth sporting events, or while traveling.
The
dining room is no longer the center of the restaurant business.
The
consumer's kitchen is.
Industry
research throughout 2024, 2025 and into 2026 continues to reinforce several
powerful trends:
•
Off-premise sales now account for a substantial percentage of restaurant
revenue across quick-service and fast-casual brands.
•
Consumers continue to value convenience, portability, flavor consistency and
value over traditional dining occasions.
•
Smaller meals, meal bundles, snack-sized offerings and mix-and-match meal
solutions continue to outperform traditional entrée-only thinking, particularly
among Gen Z and Millennials.
•
Fresh prepared foods remain one of the strongest traffic-driving departments in
supermarkets, convenience stores and club stores as consumers increasingly
replace cooking from scratch with professionally prepared meals.
Perhaps
most importantly, consumers are becoming increasingly brand loyal—not
location loyal.
If
they love your food...
They
want to enjoy it:
✔
At home
✔
At work
✔
At the park
✔
During family gatherings
✔
While traveling
✔
During game day
The
question every food retailer should be asking isn't:
"How
do we get customers into our restaurant?"
Instead
ask:
"How
do we get our brand into more eating occasions?"
Winning
brands understand that every meal occasion represents incremental revenue.
Breakfast
has become portable.
Lunch
has become flexible.
Dinner
has become customizable.
Late-night
has become delivery.
Snacking
has become a meal.
Consumers
no longer organize their day around traditional meal periods—they organize it
around their schedules.
That's
why successful operators are investing in:
·
Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal
solutions
·
Meal bundles designed for families
·
Portable packaging
·
Limited-time flavors that create
social engagement
·
Digital ordering and loyalty
integration
·
Fresh prepared foods that travel well
without sacrificing quality
At
Foodservice Solutions®, we've long believed that restaurants, supermarkets,
convenience stores and club stores are no longer competing in separate
industries.
They're
competing for the same meal occasions.
The
brands that understand this evolution—and build products around convenience
without compromising food quality—will continue gaining market share.
The
future belongs to brands that allow consumers to dine out while eating in.
Three Grocerant Guru® Insights
1.
Convenience Has Become a Competitive Advantage
Consumers aren't replacing restaurants with grocery stores—they're rewarding
whichever brand delivers the best combination of convenience, flavor, quality
and value.
2.
Every Meal Occasion Matters
Growth isn't coming from adding more dining rooms. It's coming from capturing
more eating occasions throughout the day with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat
solutions.
3.
Brand Consistency Travels
Consumers expect the same great taste whether they're dining in, taking out,
ordering delivery or enjoying your food at home. Consistent execution builds
loyalty and repeat purchases.
Steven
Johnson
Grocerant Guru®
Foodservice Solutions®
Tacoma, Washington
"Helping
food retailers discover where consumers will eat next—not just where they'll
shop next."
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