There is little doubt that the restaurant industry is on the path toward recovery, but amid the continued uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials at The NPD Group say the road back is likely to be much longer than previously expected.
Based on NPD’s recently released “Future of Foodservice Snapshot: Restaurant Revival” report, restaurant traffic declines will continue into next year. NPD forecasts that restaurant traffic will be down by 10% by the end of 2020, a sharp contrast to the 1% gain forecasted at the beginning of the year.
“The virus is going to be really tough to find much growth over the next six to 12 months,” said David Portalatin, The NPD Group’s national food and beverage analyst. “We’re stuck in neutral for now, but things will get better.”
Click through the gallery to see five consumer-forward areas Portalatin recommends restaurant operators consider when putting a recovery plan together.
