Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1119718
Customization is rising over the past two years with 60% of adults now saying they prefer restaurants that allow this feature. Local/regional food offerings are also up slightly. But, other leading preferences have dropped off, particularly the importance of restaurants telling the story behind the ingredients. SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMERS—WHAT ARE THEIR FOODSERVICE PREFERENCES? Specialty food consumers report spending $214 on all food in a typical week, most of which is on groceries. Foodservice spend is noteworthy though, because it jumped to 49% of total food spend in 2019 from 38% in 2014, and includes both food purchased from restaurants and supermarkets. Easy online ordering, faster pick-up, and checkout options, and a breadth of snacks, side dishes, and meals will help drive sales. SFCs report spending 28% of their specialty food dollars on products with any natural/ethical claims. "Choice is a topic we're spending a significant amount of time thinking through. Providing users with multiple options within the app has transcended to the restaurant side. Restaurateurs are differentiating their menus, creating distinction not just via their branding and location, but also through their menu." —director of operations for a food delivery platform Let me customize my order Prominently feature local/regional ingredients Give me the option to upgrade my food (e.g., premium or organic meat, wild-caught seafood, local/regional ingredients) Tell me more about the ingredients themselves (e.g., where they come from, what makes these ingredients special) Tell me more about key ingredient sources (e.g., the cheese farm or meat producer, what makes these sources special) S10 THE STATE OF THE SPECIALTY FOOD INDUSTRY SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMERS— HOW MUCH DO THEY SPEND? FOODSERVICE PREFERENCES SFCs Mean $ Week FOR SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMERS mean weekly spending on food Groceries cooked/prepared at home $109 Food purchased from a restaurant (eat-in, takeout, and/or delivery) $58 Food purchased at a supermarket restaurant/cafe or fresh foods/deli section $47 Total food spend (net) $214 Share % of foodservice to total 49.1% top 5 specialty food consumer I prefer restaurants that: Source: Mintel Source: Mintel 1 2 3 4 5