Operations

Drive-thru dining gaining ground

Photo by istock.com

July 22, 2022

Weekly restaurant visits are gaining, dining out intentions are positive and special dining occasions are coming back, according to a quarterly consumer survey from Revenue Management Solutions.

The study polled 769 U.S. consumers in June, according to a press release.

Drive-thru activity is retaining its lead when compared to all revenue channels. The survey revealed 83% of respondents reported at least one weekly drive-thru visit, compared to 80% in Q1 2022 and 86% in Q4 2021. Nearly a quarter, 21%, plan to visit drive-thrus much more and the figure is up from 16% in Q1 2022.

Additional highlights include:

• Nearly one in three reported ordering "more or much more" from QSRs, up from 21% in Q1.
• Fast casual and full-service frequency jumped 4% each from quarter to quarter.
• Two in five plan to celebrate a special occasion at a restaurant this summer.
• Consumers have a bright outlook, despite record inflation.

When asked if they would dine out more or much more in the future: Take-out drive-thru and delivery intentions jumped between 4-5%, and intent to dine-in "more or much more" stayed constant at 22%.