News

Menu, packaging innovation key to 5-year QSR growth

April 17, 2018

Researchers report that U.S. quick-service restaurants will grow at a compound annual growth rate [CAGR] of 3.03 percent for the 5-year period from 2017 to 2021, with food packaging innovations among the biggest trends in the restaurateur's business, a news release said. 

The ResearchAndMarkets.com's report, "Quick Service Restaurants Market in the US 2017-2021" found that consumers' increasing focus on sustainability has prompted packaging vendors to the industry to develop and release new designs for their food packaging that are environmentally friendly and less likely to contribute to global warming. 

Restaurant owners themselves are also pushing for innovative, sustainable packaging as one way to increase traffic among an increasingly environmentally aware audience of consumers. 

The report said another driver behind this trend is the changing food menu at QSR outlets where freshness and flavor are both especially key. Since those between the age of 20 and 35 are key QSR customers, brands know it pays to develop menu items that cater to their taste for more exotic flavors. 

The report also found that consumers' growing preference for home-cooked food is also driving menu innovation that pays heed to everything from individual food intolerances to overall more healthful eating. The release said in essence that the factors that now drive "fast food" purchases have changed from good-tasting and affordable to nutritious, minimally processed and organic.