Driven by the appeal of convenient and cost-effective meal solutions, strong participation in the takeaway segment is supporting growth in the German foodservice market, which is expected to grow and reach an estimated €58bn.
Dining Out in Germany — Current Landscape
Foodservice price growth continues to outpace overall inflation while Germans fail to feel relief from the cost of living crisis. This fuels value-driven actions among consumers, with trends like minimalist dining on the rise (only ordering a single food item) and increased at-home cooking.
Operators can respond by enhancing the perceived value of non-essential menu items, like drinks or desserts, when consumers are dining out in Germany. Low- and non-alcoholic drink innovation holds potential, tapping into the growing alcohol moderation trend.
Nostalgia is thriving in the German foodservice sector as consumers seek reassurance amid ongoing global turmoil. The majority of foodservice consumers like dishes that remind them of their childhood, and German restaurants remain the most popular choice of venue. This creates opportunities to embrace the richness of German culinary traditions by featuring family recipes or regional dishes. This can help foodservice bridge generational divides and foster connections through shared heritage.
Eating Out in Germany — Statistics
- Consumer Behaviour in Germany: 54% of Germans expect to do or start doing more cooking at home in 2025.
- Germany Foodservice Market Trends: 67% of foodservice consumers like dishes that remind them of their childhood, giving rise to the Nostalgia marketing trend.
Eating Out Market Report — What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- Overview of current market performance and the outlook for the next five years.
- Germany foodservice market participation, including both the eating out and takeaway segments.
- Value-focused actions taken by foodservice consumers, such as using app-only deals via mobile apps.
- Interest in innovative foodservice concepts, including multi-sensory dining, special dinner events, and dining combined with entertainment.
- Consumer behaviours related to eating out or takeaway, including interest in dishes that remind consumers of their childhood, membership of loyalty programmes, and willingness to support a favourite restaurant/food outlet financially in challenging times.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Eliana Riera-McInnes, Research Analyst. Eliana joined Mintel in 2022, focusing on consumer and market trends in the German foodservice sector. She has worked in different areas of the foodservice industry, including business strategy, market research, operations and marketing. She holds a BA (Universidad Metropolitana), a BSc (Université du Vin) and a MA (Humboldt University of Berlin).
Nostalgia is thriving in the German foodservice sector amid ongoing crises. To tap into this sentiment, operators can celebrate German culinary tradition by showcasing cherished family recipes or regional dishes.
Eliana Riera-McInnes
Research Analyst — Foodservice
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Market size and forecast for the eating out market
- Outlook
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Extend the meaning of value to boost spending
- Take non-alcoholic beverages to new heights as the NoLo* trend continues to thrive
- From local to global NoLo drinks inspiration
- Leverage interest in special events to upsell
- Cater to higher earners with tiered value offers that allow flexible spending
- Branch out into experiences
- Capitalise on rising at-home cooking…
- …by delivering exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences
- Embrace line-blurring concepts…
- …such as spaces that blend foodservice with fun and/or wellness
- Promote demographic diversity
- Leverage the power of nostalgia…
- …to bridge generational gaps in the industry
- Rethink value to better resonate with lower-income groups
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CONSUMER
- Foodservice participation
- Foodservice participation holds steady…
- Graph 1: overall foodservice participation, 2023-25
- …supported by strong takeaway demand
- Despite Gen Z remaining a key target group alongside Younger Millennials…
- Graph 2: overall foodservice participation, by generation, 2025
- …Gen Z is showing signs of struggle to keep up their high engagement
- Higher-income Germans lead in foodservice participation…
- Graph 3: overall foodservice participation, by net household income, 2025
- …while lower-income groups increasingly opt out
- Significant generational divides in participation across foodservice segments…
- Graph 4: overall foodservice participation in the top ten restaurants and food outlets, by age, 2025
- …as younger generations increasingly prioritise convenience and global dishes
- German restaurants are the great generation equaliser
- Eating out participation at Italian restaurants takes a slight dip…
- Graph 5: eating out participation at restaurants/food outlets, 2024-25
- …as high prices threaten their cult status
- Enhance price transparency and experiences in Italian dining
- Strong eating out engagement at burger restaurants fuelled by the smash burger trend
- Graph 6: Google Trends searches of ‘smash burger’, 2020-25
- Leverage limited-time offerings to capitalise on emerging food trends
- Demand for specific takeaway segments remains steady, with affordable indulgence options dominating
- Graph 7: takeaway participation at restaurants/food outlets, 2024-25
- Value-focused actions taken by foodservice consumers
- Germans are adopting value-focused habits to continue engaging with foodservice
- Graph 8: value-focused actions taken by consumers in the last six months, 2025
- The rise of minimalist dining
- Lower-income households are less likely to engage in value-focused actions…
- …highlighting a disconnect between marketing strategies and their priorities
- Parents of children aged 18 and under are more inclined to embrace value-driven actions…
- Graph 9: value-focused actions taken by consumers in the last six months, by parental status, 2025
- …with loyalty programmes as a key enabler
- Cater to families with loyalty-based perks for meals with or without kids
- Interest in innovative foodservice concepts
- Innovation in foodservice doesn’t require reinventing the wheel
- Younger generations push for innovation in foodservice
- Graph 10: any interest in select innovative concepts, by generation, 2025
- Gen Z drives interest in dining and entertainment concepts…
- …as they seek new ways to socialise and enjoy
- Special events are likely to resonate with better-off Germans
- Graph 11: foodservice consumers who would be interested in a restaurant/food outlet hosting special dinner events, by net monthly household income, 2025
- In-house pop-ups are gaining traction among independent foodservice outlets in Germany
- Behaviours relating to eating out or takeaway ordering
- Aesthetic spaces are powerful visitation drivers
- Graph 12: agreement with the statement ‘an appealing interior design would encourage me to visit a restaurant/food outlet’, by generation, 2025
- Use spaces to tell a cohesive and memorable story
- Nostalgia has a timeless (and ageless) appeal
- Foodservice consumers are divided between cash and card
- The choice between card or cash is largely a generational matter
- Consumers have a traditional approach to tipping
- Graph 13: behaviours towards tipping, 2025
- Foodservice consumers who pay by card most likely to feel pressured to tip
- Support for crowdfunding in foodservice is limited…
- Graph 14: behaviours towards financial support of foodservice businesses, 2025
- …but meaningful
- Younger men benefit from loyalty programmes the most…
- Graph 15: agreement with the statement ‘I am currently part of a restaurant’s/food outlet’s loyalty programme’, by gender and age, 2025
- …making them a key audience for supporting foodservice growth
- Tap into the demand for fakeaway meals
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MARKET
- German consumers continue to feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis…
- …while global and national political issues fuel the ongoing polycrisis
- Foodservice prices remain high despite declining inflation
- Graph 16: consumer price index, by select categories, 2023-25
- New German government aims to bring back the reduced VAT
- Personnel challenges persist in German foodservice…
- …as shortages and rising personnel costs continue to impact businesses…
- …reshaping operations and workforce structures
- Digital payment options may soon become mandatory for the foodservice industry
- The rise of AI is set to transform the customer experience
- Market size
- Rising prices drove value sales in 2024
- Graph 17: value sales of restaurants and food outlets, 2019-24
- Market forecast
- The foodservice market is set for continued value growth
- Graph 18: market size for the total value of the foodservice market*, 2019-30
- 2025 is set to bring positive developments for the foodservice industry
- The impact of US trade disruption
- Innovation and convenience will drive medium-term market growth
- A balancing act between tech and humanity will shape market growth in the long term
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
- Methodology – market size and forecast
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market size – value
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
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