In a 2020 study, convenience was clearly the most active frontier. Safety was an unquestioned imperative—a reaction, not yet a strategy—and digital was adapting quickly to those needs as part of a course of evolution that was already well underway. Now, it appears convenience has continued its rapid maturation and taken its place as a permanent fixture in the restaurant landscape. Digital still plays a greater, evermore-central role, by nature. and the most active front today, safety—where measures were in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic—are giving way to more consistent and enduring approaches.
So, where does the restaurant industry go from here? The study turned to 1,000 consumers who dined in a restaurant within the past three months of 2021 to take a fresh pulse of their attitudes and perspectives.