The Restaurant Industry and the State of Takeout

The pivot to takeout and delivery has been a clear bright spot across the foodservice industry, regardless of operation type. From college campuses to restaurants, figuring out how to provide low-touch, risk-reduced consumer experiences is the top priority because they increase the likelihood of consumer confidence.

Simply put, we're witnessing the evolution of off-premise dining. Even as different states and municipalities roll through different states of openings and closings, more and more diners are turning to takeout.

According to a Technomic Consumer Food Trends report, the share of foodservice carryout or takeout orders went from 48 percent of all orders in pre-COVID days to 67 percent of orders in current COVID conditions. That's close to a 40 percent increase in carryout, takeout, and drive-thru foodservice orders.

Some operations turned to curbside service where restaurants bring orders directly to cars in designated spots. While some operations had considered investigating this type of service later in 2020, the onset of COVID-19 turned curbside service into a survival tactic.

Other operators including the ever-present ghost kitchens have turned to touchless pick-up options. Using systems that hold foods in individual spaces for each customer, restaurants have leveraged mobile applications and technology to provide for contact-free pick up. 

The Pick-Up Cabinet from Carter-Hoffmann has been one unit that's made huge impacts in how foodservice operators can provide safe, confidence building experiences for customers. We've talked about the Carter-Hoffmann PUC units in greater detail in a previous post, but to summarize, they similar to Amazon or post office lockers that are created with foodservice in mind.

Using a PIN or a mobile application, customers can pick up food without having to interact with restaurant staff or other guests, making it one of the safest options for takeout and carryout foodservice.

Carter-Hoffmann's PUC isn't the only type of foodservice equipment that can help in the new carryout age of foodservice. There are other innovative solutions we can suggest to help create consumer confidence and increase sales, and we're happy to share those with you at your convenience.

To learn more about making the most of your carryout foodservice program, let's schedule a meetup to customize your One-on-One Takeout & Delivery Action Plan!