The restaurant industry is going through a period of unprecedented change, accelerated by the global pandemic and followed this year by record inflation in the United States. From shifts in restaurant business models, to clichéd labor shortages, and supply chain issues brought on by the epidemic, the industry as a whole has been facing a challenging road to recovery.
While 2020 was a turbulent year, 2021 is proving to be a transitional year for restaurants, and Yelp data shows that 2022 is expected to turn things around.
No. 01
Meal Attendance Across the U.S. Increased 48% Over the Same Period
According to Yelp, more than 13 million dining trips were made across the U.S. in the first quarter of 2022, a 48 percent increase over the same period in 2021. The return of dining is particularly evident in the Southeast and California.
Southeastern cities experienced the highest quarter-over-quarter growth rates including Panama City, Florida (212% increase in diners seated through Yelp in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021), Huntsville, Alabama (183%), Sevierville, Tennessee (183%), Columbia, South Carolina (176%), LaGrange, Georgia (158%) Port St. Lucie, Florida (113 percent), Fort Myers, Florida (97 percent) and Memphis, Tennessee (73 percent).
The fastest growing cities in California include Vallejo (917% growth), Santa Cruz (225%), Stockton (187%), Santa Barbara (170%), Thousand Oaks (166%), Salinas (158 %), San Francisco (158%), and San Jose (145%).
No. 02
In-store dine-in dining is in full recovery
Yelp data shows that many restaurants are also seeing a resurgence in dine-in bookings, with a 107% increase in booking searches in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021.
While consumers prefer indoor dining, demand for outdoor dining remains high. Searches for outdoor dining increased 1,060% in Q1 2022 compared to the same period in 2020. Meanwhile, searches for indoor dining increased by 6,360%.
No. 03
Takeaway continues to gain momentum
Compared to Q1 2021, consumers searched for takeout 31% less often, but 107% more than Q1 2020 and 144% more than Q1 2019.
The data suggests that takeout has become a popular trend and is likely to stay that way.
In addition to the search data, the trend is the same for mentions of takeaway in diner reviews. Compared to Q1 2021, mentions of "takeout" at local restaurants decreased 37% in 2022, but increased 38% over the same period in 2019; mentions of takeout at chain restaurants decreased 40% in 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, but increased 47% over the same period in 2019.
No. 04
Labor shortages remain a top challenge
Yelp data shows that consumers cited "long waits" ( an increase of 23%) and a lack of service workers ( an increase of 229%) more often in the reviews section in the first quarter of 2022 than in the same period last year.
To deal with the tension between the growing demand for dine-in food and the shortage of labor in the restaurant industry, many restaurants have taken a series of measures such as adjusting their opening hours, optimizing their menus, coordinating available tables, etc. Some have opted for a more modern and technological approach, like comprehensive customer waiting software, such as Yelp Guest Manager.
No. 05
More consumers are mentioning menu price increases
Yelp data shows that consumers are becoming aware of changes in menu prices. 25% more diners mentioned "price increase" in their reviews in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
No. 06
Experiential dining explodes
While menu prices are increasing, many consumers are seeking higher-priced dining experiences, perhaps because diners are also aware of the impact of inflation and want to spend their money on quality dining experiences.
When people go out to eat, they want to find more restaurants with character. Among all new restaurant openings, dining formats where the dining experience is at the core of the service are more popular with diners, such as conveyor belt sushi ( an increase of 500% compared to January-April 2021), supper clubs (an increase of 200%) and themed cafes (75%).
Based on the above data and views, I hope this article can give some new inspiration to all readers. Pay attention to ez100, we will continue to provide more information related to the food service industry.
