Deloitte survey finds a shift in consumers' restaurant preferences

The survey on “The Restaurant of the Future: A Vision Evolves,” carried out recently by Deloitte reveals that the demand for frictionless digital experiences continues to top the list of several preferences rapidly fueled by COVID-19.

“It’s been said that the only constant is change, which holds true for the restaurant industry today. The pandemic has accelerated the progress of the restaurant of the future, calling for fundamental shifts in business models to meet new demands. Now, amid continued pressures in areas like supply chain, safety-related costs, and labor availability costs, restaurants should work strategically to build loyalty among on-premises and off-premises diners. Those that can quickly adapt and meet diners’ evolving demands for convenience, frictionless digital experiences, and safety can be poised to not only survive but thrive,” says Jean Chick, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and U.S. restaurant and foodservice leader.

The findings of the report done in September 2021, involved 1,000 adults in the U.S. who had ordered from a restaurant within the last three months. The survey was aimed at discovering how consumer demand for convenience, digital experiences, and safety are permanently influencing restaurants’ business models.

The key takeaways are:

• Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of consumers do not plan to return to their pre-pandemic habits of dining in restaurants within the next six months.
• Convenient off-premises dining has emerged as a permanent fixture in the restaurant experience: 61 percent of consumers order takeout or delivery at least once per week, up from 29 percent one year ago and 18 percent prior to the pandemic.
• Quality is an important ingredient in all orders as three in five customers expect the same quality and freshness in delivery and takeout as they do in the dining room.
• Demand for frictionless digital experiences continues to be at the top of the menu. More than half (57 percent) of consumers ordering takeout or delivery prefer to use a digital app; nearly two-thirds (67 percent) of on-premise diners prefer to order their food digitally.

• When considering the channel from which to order their food, 40 percent of consumers prefer to use a restaurant’s own branded website or app compared to 11 percent who prefer a third-party food ordering and delivery platform.
• Amid numerous options for restaurant ordering, the drive-through is the most preferred method, with 37 percent of respondents ranking it as a first choice.
• Whether dining on-premises or off, nearly three-quarters of respondents (68 percent) don’t want to wait more than 30 minutes for their food (unchanged from 2020), demonstrating the ongoing preference for speed of service.
• One-third of consumers say enhanced cleanliness and safety protocols are important in returning to on-premises dining sooner and more frequently.
• Almost half (45 percent) of consumers are unlikely to return to a restaurant that had a food safety incident.

Hospitality is badly affected by the pandemic. However, it is also an opportunity for businesses to show its value and how they act to rebuild. COVID-19 will be there for some time. Get used to it and be ever ready to change. How the industry demonstrates care for people can have a lasting impact. Research tells us that many want to live in the moment and experiences. How customers are served will create those moments and experiences.

Hospitality Sri Lanka (Source: Deloitte)

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