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Dining Out: A 2012 Look Ahead - US - January 2012

Dining Out: A 2012 Look Ahead - US - January 2012

In spite of the economic ups and downs of the past year, consumers have found a way to include dining out in their budget, perhaps becoming recession weary and finding restaurants a form of creature comfort. So much the more going forward as the economy begins to pick up.

In this report, Mintel examines restaurant economics and drivers, restaurant and menu trends, and consumer attitudes and habits to provide a glimpse into the future of the dining-out industry. Insights from this report will help operators and foodservice suppliers create high-demand products and build effective marketing messages. All restaurant stakeholders will want to read this report in order to understand:...

£2,534.48

In spite of the economic ups and downs of the past year, consumers have found a way to include dining out in their budget, perhaps becoming recession weary and finding restaurants a form of creature comfort. So much the more going forward as the economy begins to pick up.

In this report, Mintel examines restaurant economics and drivers, restaurant and menu trends, and consumer attitudes and habits to provide a glimpse into the future of the dining-out industry. Insights from this report will help operators and foodservice suppliers create high-demand products and build effective marketing messages. All restaurant stakeholders will want to read this report in order to understand:

  • The size of the market trended over time with analysis of future growth projections
  • Factors hindering/helping the industry realize its greatest profit potential
  • Five restaurant operational/menu trends that will drive the industry through 2012 and beyond
  • Successful marketing strategies and messages that resonate with consumers
  • Menu trends in terms of items, prices and marketing claims
  • Consumers’ favorite restaurant segments and their 2012 restaurant spending plans
  • Consumer attitudes about calorie disclosure, menu options, technology and areas for restaurant improvement

Scope and Themes


What you need to know


Data sources


Consumer survey data

Advertising creative

Abbreviations and terms


Abbreviations

Terms

Executive Summary


Market drivers


2012 look ahead at menu/operational trends


Menu insights


Restaurant usage


Changes in restaurant spending


Impact of calorie disclosure and the economy


Restaurants and menu options


The potential for technology


Improvement for restaurants


Interest in preparation techniques


Familiarity and interest in regional cuisines


Insights and Opportunities


Prepare for the law


Figure 1: Moe’s Southwest Grill’s Food Mission Wheel, December 2011

Regional rivalry


Figure 2: Familiarity of and interest in regional American BBQ, October 2011

Inspire Insights


Trend: Access All Areas


Trend: Patriot Games


Market Size and Forecast


Key points


Sales and forecast of restaurants


Figure 3: U.S. restaurant sales, at current prices, 2006-16

Figure 4: U.S. restaurant sales, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-16

Sales and forecast of full-service restaurants


Figure 5: U.S. sales at full-service restaurants, at current prices, 2006-16

Figure 6: U.S. sales at full-service restaurants, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-16

Sales and forecast of limited-service restaurants


Figure 7: U.S. sales at limited-service restaurants, at current prices, 2006-16

Figure 8: U.S. sales at limited-service restaurants, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-16

Fan chart forecast


Figure 9: U.S. restaurant sales, fan chart, 2006-16

Market Drivers


Key points


Unemployment rate looks more hopeful


Figure 10: Incidence of unemployment and underemployment, Jan. 2007-Nov. 2011

Disposable personal income inches up


Figure 11: Real disposable income, Jan. 2007-Oct. 2011

Consumer sentiment, cautiously optimistic


Figure 12: Consumer sentiment, March 2007-Nov. 2011

Restaurant Performance Index looks hopeful


Figure 13: Restaurant Performance Index, Jan. 2009-Oct. 2011

Menu labeling legislation will likely impact the industry


Figure 14: Percentage of population aged 20+ who are overweight, obese, or extremely obese, 1988-2008

2012 Look Ahead


Key points


American regionalism


Figure 15: Familiarity of and interest in regional American cuisines, October 2011

Double-sided menus


Price

Health

Consumer control


Slow it down


Figure 16: Interest in preparation techniques, October 2011

Imported ideas


Marketing Strategies


Overview


Television


Domino’s

Figure 17: Domino’s, raising the bar television ad, 2011

Figure 18: Domino’s, artisan pizza—try it television ad, 2011

Figure 19: Hardee’s, made fresh television ad, 2011

Figure 20: Hardee’s, unbeatable hand television ad, 2011

Figure 21: Popeyes, I’m dancing television ad, 2011

Figure 22: Wendy’s, hot and juicy television ad, 2011

Websites and other digital media


Pizza Hut

Figure 23: Quantcast.com traffic estimates for pizzahut.com, May-Oct 2011

IHOP

Figure 24: Quantcast.com traffic estimates for IHOP.com, May-Oct 2011

Applebee’s

Figure 25: Quantcast.com traffic estimates for applebees.com, May-Oct 2011

Outback Steakhouse

Figure 26: Outback Steakhouse Facebook contest, December 2011

Figure 27: Quantcast.com traffic estimates for outback.com, May-Oct 2011

Cause marketing


Menu Insights Analysis—Top Menu Items


Key points


Top menu items


Figure 28: Top 10 menu items at restaurants, by incidence, Q3 2008-Q3 2011

Menu item prices


Figure 29: Top 10 menu items at restaurants, by incidence and price, Q3 2008-Q3 2011

Menu Insights Analysis—Top Menu Item Claims


Key points


Geographical claims


Figure 30: Top 10 American geographic claims at restaurants, by incidence, Q3 2008-Q3 2011

Menu item claims


Figure 31: Top 10 menu item claims at restaurants, by incidence, Q3 2008-Q3 2011

Restaurant Usage


Key points


Choice restaurant types


Figure 32: Restaurant usage, by age, October 2011

Figure 33: Restaurant usage, by annual household income, October 2011

Frequency of visits


Figure 34: Restaurant monthly visits, by gender, October 2011

Figure 35: Restaurant monthly visits, by age, October 2011

Figure 36: Restaurant monthly visits, by annual household income, October 2011

Changes in Restaurant Spending


Key points


Future spending intentions


Figure 37: Restaurant spending next year, by gender, October 2011

Figure 38: Restaurant spending next year, by age, October 2011

Figure 39: Restaurant spending next year, by annual household income, October 2011

Segments at which consumers plan to spend more


Figure 40: Restaurant segments spending change, October 2011

Impact of Calorie Disclosure and the Economy


Key points


Action plan when calories are posted


Figure 41: Impact of calorie count disclosure on dining out, by gender, October 2011

Figure 42: Impact of calorie count disclosure on dining out, by age, October 2011

Figure 43: Impact of calorie count disclosure on dining out, by annual household income, October 2011

Economic impact on dining out


Figure 44: Impact of the recession on dining out, by gender, October 2011

Figure 45: Impact of the recession on dining out, by age, October 2011

Figure 46: Impact of the recession on dining out, by annual household income, October 2011

Restaurants and Menu Options


Key points


Attitudes about restaurant menus


Figure 47: Attitudes toward restaurant menu options, by gender, October 2011

Figure 48: Attitudes toward restaurant menu options, by age, October 2011

Figure 49: Attitudes toward restaurant menu options, by annual household income, October 2011

The Potential for Technology


Key points


Attitudes toward menu-ordering technology


Figure 50: Attitudes toward technology for ordering, by age, October 2011

Figure 51: Attitudes toward technology for ordering, by annual household income, October 2011

Improvement for Restaurants


Key points


Ways to improve restaurants


Figure 52: Improvement for restaurants, by gender, October 2011

Figure 53: Improvement for restaurants, by age, October 2011

Figure 54: Improvement for restaurants, by annual household income, October 2011

Interest in Preparation Techniques


Key points


Meaningful descriptions


Figure 55: Interest in preparation techniques, by gender, October 2011

Figure 56: Interest in preparation techniques, by age, October 2011

Figure 57: Interest in preparation techniques, by annual household income, October 2011

Familiarity with and Interest in Regional Cuisines


Key points


Familiarity with various regional cuisines


Figure 58: Familiarity of regional American cuisines, by gender, October 2011

Figure 59: Familiarity of regional American cuisines, by age, October 2011

Figure 60: Familiarity of regional American cuisines, by annual household income, October 2011

Interest in various regional cuisines


Figure 61: Familiarity of and interest in regional American cuisines, October 2011

Figure 62: Interest in regional American cuisines, by gender, October 2011

Figure 63: Interest in regional American cuisines, by age, October 2011

Figure 64: Interest in regional American cuisines, by annual household income, October 2011

Custom Groups—Light, Medium, Heavy


Spending plans revealed


Figure 65: Restaurant spending next year, by usage frequency, October 2011

Figure 66: Restaurant segments spending change, by usage frequency, October 2011

Impact of calorie counts


Figure 67: Impact of calorie count disclosure on dining out, by usage frequency, October 2011

Universal view of improvements


Figure 68: Improvement for restaurants, by usage frequency, October 2011

Customization and technology matter to heavy users


Figure 69: Attitudes toward restaurants and eating out, by usage frequency, October 2011

Appendix—Trade Associations


  • AFC Enterprises Inc.
  • Applebee's International Inc.
  • Arby's Restaurant Group
  • Bob Evans Farms Inc.
  • Brinker International Inc.
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis
  • Burger King Corporation
  • California Pizza Kitchen Inc.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
  • Church's Chicken
  • CiCi Enterprises, LP
  • CKE Restaurants Inc.
  • Coca-Cola Company (The) (USA)
  • Darden Restaurants Inc.
  • Denny's Corporation
  • Domino's Pizza LLB
  • Dunkin' Brands
  • Facebook, Inc.
  • Fazoli's Restaurants, Inc.
  • Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc.
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • Food Distributors International
  • Food Marketing Institute
  • Foursquare
  • Hardee's Food Systems, Inc.
  • International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC)
  • International Food Service Executives Association (IFSEA)
  • International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA)
  • International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)
  • International Franchise Association (IFA)
  • KFC Corporation
  • Luigi Lavazza SpA
  • McDonald's U.S.A.
  • Moe's Southwest Grill, LLC
  • Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc.
  • National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR)
  • National Restaurant Association (NRA)
  • National Retail Federation (NRF)
  • O'Charley's Inc.
  • Organic Trade Association
  • OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc.
  • P.F. Chang's China Bistro Inc.
  • Pandora Media, Inc.
  • Panera Bread Company
  • Papa John's International, Inc.
  • Pizza Hut Inc
  • Produce Marketing Association
  • Ruby Tuesday Inc.
  • Starbucks Coffee Company UK Ltd
  • Subway
  • TGI Friday's
  • The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
  • The Johnny Rockets Group, Inc.
  • The Quiznos Master LLC
  • The Wendy's Company
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • University of Michigan, The
  • US Department of Commerce
  • USA Today
  • Weight Watchers International Inc.
  • Yum! Brands Inc.
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