Restaurants Takeout Required: A Grocerant Guru’s Perspective on Peak-Time Demand and Who’s Driving It

 

In the evolving landscape of foodservice, one thing is clear: takeout isn’t just a convenience anymore—it’s a lifestyle. As the Grocerant Guru®, I’ve watched off-premises dining transform from a weekend fallback to a daily ritual. Today, takeout is a thread woven deep into the fabric of modern life, shaping how, when, and why we eat.

Timing is Everything: When Takeout Reigns Supreme

While hunger doesn’t follow a clock, peak demand for takeout certainly does. The golden hour for to-go orders hits around 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM—a time when families are winding down from work and school, and no one wants to cook. But lunch isn’t far behind, especially in urban areas, where midday takeout spikes from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM, driven by professionals, students, and on-the-go consumers looking for something fast, satisfying, and maybe even healthy(ish).

Interestingly, late-night orders—especially through delivery apps—are climbing thanks to Gen Z and younger Millennials fueling the after-hours economy. Think post-gym protein bowls, midnight wings, and bubble tea with a side of fries. The demand doesn’t sleep, and neither does the need for convenience.

Who’s Ordering—and What Are They Getting?

Let’s get granular. The key consumers in the off-premises boom are Millennials and Gen Zs, with over 60% reporting increased use of takeout, drive-thru, and delivery compared to just a year ago. These digital natives are craving more than just quick eats—they want value, variety, and a frictionless experience.

They’re ordering everything from customizable grain bowls and chicken sandwiches to Asian fusion tacos, plant-forward snacks, and curated meal bundles. And don’t overlook the rise of alcohol to-go—especially among younger adults who want bar-quality cocktails at home.

Meanwhile, Gen X and Boomers still participate, especially via drive-thru lanes and call-ahead orders, where convenience meets familiarity. They often favor comfort foods and combo meals, and yes, they’re digging loyalty programs too.

Across urban, suburban, and even rural regions, takeout tastes vary, but the expectations remain high: speedy service, good customer service, intuitive tech, and value-packed offers are the must-haves. Operators without these features? They’re falling behind.

Takeout Today: Habit, Not Hype

Here’s the big takeaway: ordering food to go isn’t a trend—it’s an expectation. According to recent industry insights, 47% of adults grab takeout at least weekly, and 42% hit the drive-thru. Another 37% order delivery weekly. Many consumers—especially the under-40 crowd—order food to go every single day, sometimes multiple times a day.

Yet even with all this activity, there’s room to grow. The data shows a pent-up demand that’s being held back mostly by budget constraints and limited options. Consumers are saying: “I’d order more if I could afford it, and if there were more variety.”

So what can operators do?

Strategies for Success in the Off-Premises Era

Here are a few Grocerant Guru® approved strategies:

·       Embrace Value: Promotions like buy-one-get-one, off-peak discounts, and meal bundles are hitting home with 80% of consumers. These value-forward deals aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential for increasing frequency.

·       Innovate the Menu: Go beyond the brick-and-mortar basics. Think snack-sized portions, global flavors, and grab-and-go meal kits. And don’t be afraid to explore alcohol pairings or dessert bundles to boost average check size.

·       Leverage Tech for Loyalty: Whether it’s app-based ordering, digital payment, or gamified rewards, the right tech keeps customers coming back. The smoother the process, the stronger the repeat business.

·       Expand Off-Peak Appeal: Offer incentives for early dinners, late lunches, and even breakfast bundles. Capture business when your competitors are quiet.

The Future of Takeout

The off-premises market isn’t slowing down—it’s evolving. As lifestyles shift toward flexibility, digital convenience, and culinary exploration, restaurants must rethink the way they serve. Takeout is no longer just a backup plan—it’s a front-runner.

To all operators: listen to your customers, optimize for convenience, and don’t sleep on the snacks. Because in 2025 and beyond, restaurants that master the art of takeout will be the ones that thrive.

Takeout isn’t optional anymore. It’s required.

Elevate Your Brand with Expert Insights

For corporate presentations, regional chain strategies, educational forums, or keynote speaking, Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, delivers actionable insights that fuel success.

With deep experience in restaurant operations, brand positioning, and strategic consulting, Steven provides valuable takeaways that inspire and drive results.

💡 Visit GrocerantGuru.com or FoodserviceSolutions.US
📞 Call 1-253-759-7869

Golden Chick Embraces America’s Pastime

 

Elevating a partnership can expand your brands reach and the ‘halo’ of better for you if that partnership is with the Texas Rangers in one of your key markets according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

So, Dallas-Fort Worth-based Golden Chick is taking its existing partnership with the Texas Rangers a step further and working with the team by celebrating the release of the Rangers 2023 Nike City Connect uniform launch. This unique uniform with unite both brands while elevating Golden Chick according to Johnson.

In order to leverage brand messaging there will be a two-part launch, Golden Chick team members were first on-site to supply Rangers fans with fan-favorite Wicked Wings as they made their way to the Grand Slam Team Store at Globe Life Field to purchase the highly-anticipated City Connect merchandise. In addition, Golden Chick will act as the only Rangers sponsor to have the new City Connect primary logo adorned on crew gear, with employees wearing the new TX mark on T-shirts throughout the season. 

Mark Parmerlee, chairman of Golden Chick, stated, “As a locally-grown brand, taking part in the history of our region’s baseball team means a great deal and only furthers how strong of a relationship we share with the Texas Rangers,” ... “Golden Chick will not only have a hands-on role in the reveal of the new jerseys but will proudly showcase the emblem for months following, to truly give it the attention it deserves. We are honored to work with the Rangers on this announcement and promote a historic initiative for the team. Our restaurant crews are going to proudly wear the new logo.”

In case you did not know, the Nike MLB City Connect Series launched in 2021 and was formed to celebrate the connection between a specific club and its city. The Rangers are the second MLB team to join the City Connect Series in 2023. The jerseys celebrate the origin story of the Rangers and the Texas spirit that brought Dallas and Fort Worth together in Arlington through baseball, literally paving the way for the Rangers. 

Jim Cochrane, Texas Rangers senior vice president of partnerships and client services, stated, “We’ve had an incredible partnership with Golden Chick for years and when we discussed how we could expand on the City Connect announcement, we knew we wanted to include them,” ... “Both of our organizations have deep roots within DFW and strive to give back and honor the community as much as possible. We’re excited to keep evolving our partnership as the years go by and continue to deepen our involvement as we both grow.”

Working a partnership and edifying the relationships is important. Golden Chick first partnered with the Texas Rangers in 2018 as the sponsor for the iconic Dot Race, a sixth-inning tradition that garners the attention of thousands of fans each game. Since then, Golden Chick has evolved its participation at Globe Life Field to include Golden Chick at the Ballpark with special ballpark-only menu items like the Golden Chick Bases Loaded Fries and fried pickles. In 2022, and continuing in 2023, the brand became the title sponsor of the Jr. Rangers Kids Club, offering great team merchandise and discounted tickets for young Texas Rangers fans 13 and under.

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Juice It Up! New Partnership New Electricity for Angles Baseball

 

Baseball is back with a 162-game season and an opportunity for restaurant brands to step up to the plate and stand out.  One success clue than no one can deny is that the right partnership will drive top-line sales, bottom-line profits, and brand awareness according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

Good partnerships will drive positive brand awareness edifying a brand with new electricity according to Johnson.  That said, Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chains, announced the addition of a new heavy hitter to its lineup. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, just a few miles from Angel Stadium, and with over 80 franchise locations in Southern California, Juice It Up! is proud to step to the plate as a Proud Partner of Angels Baseball, marking the brand’s first professional sports partnership. Juice It Up!’s new baseball sponsorship includes a variety of activations, including in-stadium concessions, fan promotions and community events. 

According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.” 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

Susan Taylor, President and CEO of Juice It Up, stated, “With deep roots in Southern California and the surrounding communities where so many of our dedicated Juice It Up! franchisees serve our guests, we are thrilled to take the field with a team that’s been synonymous with Southern California for more than 60 years,” ... “This new partnership is a natural step for Juice It Up!, especially since our brand personality and motto to ‘Live Life Juiced’ overlays perfectly with the passion and excitement fans bring to their love for the Angels.”

Here is more of what they had to say; “Central to its partnership with Angels Baseball, and brand new to Angel Stadium and its legion of fans, Juice It Up! will operate a concession stand in the third base courtyard, which will feature the brand’s superfruit bowls, including its Açaí Berry Bowl and Dragon Fruit Bowl topped with tasty granola, strawberries, and blueberries. Fans can enjoy their flavorful and functional treat conventionally in a bowl or in a souvenir helmet to commemorate their time at the ballpark. 

Juice It Up! also will activate its Angels Baseball sponsorship with a fun and innovative in-game promotion guaranteed to have fans keeping close tabs on the Angels bullpen and its win column. All season long, every time an Angels pitcher records an official “Save” at the Big A, Juice It Up! will celebrate with guests by offering a small Classic Smoothie for free! To claim their free smoothie, fans must be Juice It Up! Rewards members and visit the brand’s more than 80 locations in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside or San Bernardino counties participating locations the day after the Save.

“As an Orange County native, I have been a fan of the Angels for decades, and I am very grateful for this opportunity to partner with the team,” says Chris Britt Co-Chairman and Co-Owner of Juice It Up! “Going to Angel Stadium to cheer on the Halos is something I’ve done since I was a kid, so my excitement is off the charts to be able to offer our famous Açaí and Dragon Fruit Bowls to a community of Angels fans that I have been a part of for so long. I know everyone will just love them!”

Complementing its fan activation when an official Save is recorded, along with the in-stadium availability of the brand’s delicious superfruit bowls, Juice It Up!’s multifaceted agreement with the Angels includes a variety of highly visible in-stadium signage and sponsorships of community events such as the annual Angels 5K Run in July. 

“Angels Baseball and Juice It Up! is the perfect double play combination” says Ed St. Geme, also a Co-Chairman and Co-Owner of Juice It Up! “As we continue to build on several years of accelerating growth in California and beyond, pairing the tradition of the Halos at the Big A with our brand’s popular Açaí and Dragon Fruit bowls, along with the many fan and community activations, should be a real winner for Angels Baseball, Juice It Up! and our amazing franchise partners.”

Since 1995, Juice It Up! has delivered products that help support guests in their wellness journeys with menu choices that are quick, convenient and healthier than other options. Following a record-setting three-year period from 2019 to 2022 in sales and other franchise metrics, the brand is continuing to cement its status as a leading franchise offering in the smoothie and juice sector and reinforcing its widespread reputation for menu and product innovation, including a wealth of options like its popular classic smoothies, Açaí and other superfruit bowls, functional delicious raw juices and fiber-rich plant-based smoothies. Robust sales, AUV growth, experienced leadership and world-class franchise support have become Juice It Up! hallmarks, complementing the brand’s reputation as an innovator of both popular and lesser-known superfruits and functional food science. 

Angels Chairman, Dennis Kuhl, stated, “We are so pleased to welcome Juice It Up! as a proud partner of the Angels,” says. “We welcome the opportunity to team up with local brands to expand the stadium’s offerings and give fans even more options when visiting the park, all while cheering on our beloved team.” 

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

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Baseball is Back Trading Cards are ‘IN” LankyBox Kitchen’s Trading Cards are Fun

 

What is the best food marketing job in the foodservice sector?  It has to be a food marketing director at a virtual kitchen.  According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® who stated, “virtual restaurants, virtual brands start with a blank sheet and are not restricted to a set of self-imposed branding limits.”   

I’m sure many of you have not heard of Lankybox Kitchen, the delivery-only restaurant brand created by the popular entertainment brand, LankyBox, in partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts, announced the launch of its exclusive collectible trading cards.

So, fans place an order for Lankybox Kitchen’s menu of kid-friendly comfort foods, like pan pizzas and deep-dish mac-and-cheeses, they will receive one pack of three unique trading cards. Ranging from common, rare to super rare, guests will find beloved LankyBox characters, including Foxy and Boxy on the collectible items, plus LankyBox Kitchen’s tasty menu items. Available while supplies last, the cards feature 20 different eye-catching and vibrant designs. 

Stephanie Sollers, CEO of Virtual Dining Concepts, stated, “We are delivering a moment beyond food by offering our fans one-of-a-kind collectible items to accompany the exclusive content they receive when ordering from LankyBox Kitchen” …. “We know how loyal the fans are to LankyBox creators Justin and Adam, and how much they love to immerse themselves in the LankyBox universe, so these trading cards are the perfect addition to the overall experience we offer to our guests.”

Now consider this from the kitchens of Chuck E. Cheese, LankyBox Kitchen is VDC’s first-ever kid’s influencer virtual restaurant inspired by vloggers Justin Kroma and Adam McArther, offering a menu of great-tasting, family-friendly menu items, including personal pan pizzas, twice-baked wings, boxy mac-and-cheeses and salads, plus fun desserts, like colorful churros dusted with cotton candy, sour apple and blue raspberry sugar.

Lankybox Kitchen also offers food and fun for the entire family with its Family Meals. Guests may choose from a selection of pizza, wings, salads or desserts to create a meal perfect for families of two to four. Each order comes in signature Lankybox packaging, plus a QR code that links to a special video for fans to enjoy while indulging in a variety of creative and kid-friendly dishes.

For more information on Lankybox Kitchen and the exclusive trading cards, please visit lankyboxkitchen.com. LankyBox Kitchen is available for delivery in select cities across the U.S. Follow @lankyboxkitchen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for continued updates on all offerings.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

At Jersey Mike’s Subs Partnerships Drive New Electricity

Who is not ready for some baseball on TV?  I know I will enjoy watching some live baseball, heck any live sporting event will get my attention. But, baseball I’m in.  So, the 2020 baseball season is about to get underway.  All Star, player Aaron Judge is teaming up with Jersey Mike’s Subs to entertain fans and make a big difference in local communities and drive some new electricity into the Jersey Mike’s brand.

In a new marketing campaign, Jersey Mike’s will donate $1 million to Judge’s ALL RISE Foundation, which inspires children and youth to become responsible citizens by engaging them in traditional summer tie activities, from camps too reading programs. The goal is to encourage them to reach unlimited possibilities.

Aaron Judge stated, “For my ALL RISE Foundation to be the recipient of $1 million dollar donation from Jersey Mike’s is monumental for us,” “Even if our organization impacts one kid, one family, it’s making a difference in this world and that’s what it’s all about for me.” Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes this is a great move by Jersey Mike’s.

Adding new electricity to the value of the partnership that runs until July 26, 2020, is another partnership with Pepsi and Lay’s, where customers can order “Aaron’s Way,” adding chips and a fountain drink to their sub order for just $2.99. Fans can substitute a 20 oz. bottled drink for 50 cents more.

So, customers who order Aaron’s Way will have access to exclusive content via a QR code on 22-ounce fountain cups that links them to a web page with the videos. The four fun and uplifting videos, one released each week, teach fans:

·         Aaron’s Way to Chew Gum

·         Aaron’s Way to Relax

·         Aaron’s Way to Talk Like a New Yawka

·         Aaron’s Way to Give Back with the ALL RISE Foundation

Aaron’s Way plays off Jersey Mike’s iconic Mike’s Way of ordering an authentic sub with onion, lettuce, tomato, a blend of olive oil and red wine vinegar, and spices. A new commercial with the baseball star will air nationwide.

Yes, we have to note that , bsed on guidance from the CDC and public health authorities, only some Jersey Mike’s locations have reopened for in-store dining. Guests can place takeout orders in-store or for no contact pick-up at the door through Jersey Mike’s website or the Jersey Mike’s app. Delivery is available through the app or through third-party delivery partners. 

Driving new electricity into a legacy brand with a partnership is a good move and will accelerate the marketing messaging for all companies involved according to Johnson. How is your company positioning to grow your brand, the top, and bottom line?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why? This new partnership does all of that.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869