Life in the Fast Lane
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- Published: February 1, 2019
- Written by Joseph M. Carbonara, Editorial Director
Delivery remains all the rage in today’s foodservice industry. And rightfully so.
Joe Carbonara
Opinion pieces from our editorial director and editor in chief.
Delivery remains all the rage in today’s foodservice industry. And rightfully so.
One attribute that makes the foodservice industry so unique is that it plays host to a variety of philosophies.
The good news for the restaurant industry is that unemployment levels remain at historically low levels. Why is low unemployment good for the restaurant industry? The National Restaurant Association’s Hudson Riehle always reminds me low unemployment helps keep consumers busy and they subsequently crave the convenience that foodservice operators from all segments often provide.
Last month, home goods retailer Crate & Barrel announced plans to add a two-story, full-service restaurant to its store in Oak Brook, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. In doing so, Crate & Barrel became the latest in a series of retailers investing in adding foodservice to its brick-and-mortar locations.
There’s an undeniable hum throughout the foodservice industry as the pace of change continues to impact everyone.
Just like Hollywood has its awards season, so too does the foodservice industry. From associations to buying groups, everyone likes to get in on the act of celebrating the success of those companies and individuals who go above and beyond in shaping the landscape of the industries they serve. But awards programs need to do more than simply recognize the biggest players in an industry.
Each year, FE&S produces 12 issues of our print publication. But it would be harder to find one read with greater scrutiny than the April issue. That’s due, in large part, to FE&S releasing the results from the magazine’s annual Distribution Giants study.
In addition to projecting slow but real growth for the foodservice industry in 2018, The NPD Group outlined a handful of attributes that will affect the way consumers use foodservice. Specifically, NPD predicts consumers will remain strapped for time, embrace digital ordering even more and strive to develop a closer relationship with their couches.
Given that it's December, it's only natural to want to look ahead to the coming year (or even years) to get an idea of what our businesses might look like in the future. Only, that can be a fool's errand.