Hi rick1,
Everything you've asked for should be here.
First a couple of explanations –
As you probably already know, most current industry reports are
available for purchase. The research firms release just enough
information for free to get you interested, but you do have to pay the
money for the whole package. What I have found however is that many
companies and press agencies that do buy the reports also leak little
bits of information. So, once you have the report title, you can
search for it and find more than the research firm originally
released.
The other ramification of this is that there is much more detailed
data available for prior years as opposed to current. So some of what
I've given you is from the late 1990's because that's what's out there
free now.
One report that is probably worth your while to purchase, and is not
all that expensive is The National Restaurant Association - Ethnic
Cuisines II report.
A survey of 1,230 U.S. consumers of ethnic foods in May 1999 to study
comparisons in awareness and usage of various ethnic cuisines. To
purchase Ethnic Cuisines II, call (800) 482-9122. The cost is $44.95
for Association members and $89.95 for nonmembers.
The other report that has good data is the 2003 Restaurant Industry
Forecast which you can preorder for $49.95 here:
2003 Restaurant Industry Forecast – Order page
https://www.restaurant.org/store/preorder.cfm?DID=12
Finally, one thing the industry does not seem to do is differentiate
WHAT people are buying when they buy takeout. It appears that Chinese
takeout is always lumped together with traditional fast foods. I've
not found any research that breaks the takeout into, say, burgers,
subs, Chinese, pizza, etc. So all of the takeout information I've
cited is conglomerate data.
If I had to sum up the overall trend based on everything I've read
today, I would say that Chinese restaurants have become so commonplace
in American society, that we almost don't even think of them as
"ethnic" any more. American's growing acceptance of less-traditional
foods combined with the trend towards takeout has contributed to a
steady growth in the number of Chinese restaurants and the total
revenue taken by them.
===========================================
NUMBERS
===========================================
Ethnic Eateries in the United States, 1995
Type of Cuisine Establishments Sales*
------------------------------------------------------
Italian 18,351 $8.9
Mexican 20,924 11.0
Chinese 22,650 5.3
Other Ethnic 15,815 5.2
-------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL 77,740 $30.5**
-------------------------------------------------------
*In billions of dollars
** May not sum to total due to rounding.
Source: National Restaurant Association
"The 1994 Consumer Reports on Eating Share Trends showed more than 50
percent of the business in higher-check restaurants—particularly
Italian, Asian, or varied menu—came from more affluent households."
The restaurant industry is primarily divided into two segments,
Full-Service and Quick-Service (also known as Limited-Service)
restaurants. Full-Service restaurants primarily are dine-in,
table-service establishments. This includes both fine-dining and
casual-dining restaurants. Quick-Service restaurants are fast-food
businesses.
---------------------------------------------------------------
% of each Type of U.S. Eating Places, 1997
Limited-Service Restaurants 40%
Full-Service Restaurants 45%
Special Food Services 6%
Other Limited- Service Eating Places* 9%
---------------------------------------------------------------
% of U.S. Foodservice Sales, 1997
Limited-Service Restaurants 40%
Full-Service Restaurants 47%
Special Food Services 8%
Other Limited- Service Eating Places* 5%
---------------------------------------------------------------
Projections for 2000
Full-Service sales - $128.1 billion
Quick-Service restaurants $114.7 billion.
All other segments will total $ 34.0 billion.
---------------------------------------------------------------
All of the above from:
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY STUDY 2000 - SCSBDA
http://www.sbtdc.org/research/restaurant.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------
PROJECTIONS 2003 - GROUP I – COMMERCIAL RESTAURANT SERVICES1 EATING
PLACES
2003 Projected F&D Sales (in thousands of dollars)
Full service restaurants $153,164,149
Limited-service (fast-food) restaurants $120,873,894
Commercial cafeterias $1,922,012
Social caterers $4,129,862
Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars $16,914,224
TOTAL EATING PLACES $297,004,141
Restaurant Industry Food-and-Drink Sales Projections Through 2003
http://www.restaurant.org/research/forecast_sales.cfm
===========================================
CONSUMER TRENDS
===========================================
This from Ethnic Cuisines II
"The Association's study, Ethnic Cuisines II, looks at a myriad of
cuisines and international foods. The most popular cuisines are
Mexican, Italian and Cantonese-Chinese… 97 percent of the respondents
to the survey are aware of these foods, "
…traditional ethnic cuisines …such as French, German and Scandinavian
are among the more recognized cuisines. Between 71 and 87 percent of
adults are familiar with these cuisines. … they are starting to be
superceded as other cuisines become more accessible and apparent.
… Cajun/Creole, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese are grabbing the attention
of American diners. Both Thai and Vietnamese cuisines .. with 68
percent of American adults aware of them…. Awareness of Cajun/Creole
and Indian cuisines increased to 86 and 74 percent respectively."
Non-Traditional Ethnic Cuisines Gain in Popularity
August 24, 2000
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=126
OTHER ARTICLES CITING THE ABOVE STUDY --------------------
Generations X and Y Drive Surge in Ethnic Cuisine
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=125
--------------------------------
International Cuisine Reaches America's Main Street
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=124
--------------------------------
A Cultural Melting Pot
Restaurants USA, May 2000
http://www.restaurant.org/research/magarticle.cfm?ArticleID=398
---------------------------------
"The restaurant association also said diners most familiar with ethnic
food are young urban professionals and those least likely to be
interested in it are so-called social diners who are not as picky
about the restaurant choice and convenience diners who prefer economy
when eating out, the survey said."
USA Restaurants Serving Up More Ethnic Fare
August 14, 2000
http://www.spcnetwork.com/mii/2000/000830.htm
OTHER RESEARCH ----------------------------------------
"More than 90% of consumers were familiar with or had tried these
[Italian, Mexican or Chinese] foods, with about half eating them
frequently."
"Not long ago, food from Southeast Asia would have been grouped under
the "Oriental" label. Today, consumers are seeking foods from
individual countries--Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam.
Simply defining a meal as Chinese is not specific enough, as styles of
Chinese have grown to include Shanghai (i.e., cabbage and pork),
Cantonese (i.e., seafood and fresh vegetables), Szechwan and Hunan."
Crossing the Borders
Consumer palates adhere to no boundaries in their quest for variety.
http://www.preparedfoods.com/archives/2001/2001_2/0201bnef.htm
---------------------------------------------------
Which cuisines most frequently grace the dinner table? Diners report
that they sample the following cuisines most frequently:
Chinese 69%
Italian 55%
Mexican 53%
Forecasting foodservice:
"Hand-held foods will grow in popularity because they are on-the-go
foods that meet the needs of consumers' busy lifestyles. Grazing foods
and smaller portions - tapas, bento or banchan-style meals - will also
continue to appeal to consumers….
"One-dish, or bowl, meals will become more popular because they're
tasty, convenient and economical. Bowl meals have emerged as trendy
items in many restaurants and other foodservice establishments, and
will continue to grow in popularity. Bowl meals are the fast foods of
Asia…"
Flavor Trends: Ethnic and Fusion Cuisines
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/2000/0500fa5.html
---------------------------------------------------
Trends Heating Up
• Breakfast sandwiches
• Chicken sandwiches
• Chinese/Asian entrees
• Fried-chicken entrees
• Fried vegetables
• Steak sandwiches
In Vogue: What’s Hot in the Restaurant Industry
Restaurants USA, May 2002
http://www.restaurant.org/rusa/magArticle.cfm?ArticleID=768
-----------------------------
Food & Wine Magazine And America Online 'Food in America' Survey
Reveals What Americans Really Think About Food;
Tuesday July 02, 2002
ETHNIC FOOD
Favorite ethnic food? Italian (72%) ranked as the favorite, beating
out Chinese (19%), Indian (5%) and French (4%). The cuisine
respondents would be least likely to try is Ethiopian (54%).
Food & Wine Magazine And America Online 'Food in America' Survey
http://www.foodservice.com/news_homepage_expandtitle_fromhome.cfm?passid=3425
===========================================
TAKE OUT STATISTICS
===========================================
Americans are choosing takeout dinners 61 percent more frequently than
they were just 10 years ago.
Over three quarters (78%) of U.S. households order at least one
takeout or delivery in a typical month.
51 percent of all restaurant visits were takeouts - up 5 percent since
1990.
Takeout sales totaled $126 million in 1997 and are projected to grow
to $195 million by 2007.14
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY STUDY 2000 - SCSBDA
http://www.sbtdc.org/research/restaurant.pdf
---------------------------------
Tracking Takeout
Takeout Foods reveals that more than three-quarters of U.S. households
(78 percent) make at least one carryout or delivery purchase in a
typical month.
Daily Users… account for only 21 percent of all adults who purchase
takeout, yet they are responsible for a whopping 51 percent of takeout
occasions.
fast-food restaurants account for the majority of takeout occasions.
…When daypart is taken into consideration, fast food is especially
dominant from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., but deli, bagel and donut shops
capture a significant share of the market before 11 a.m. During the
evening hours after 4 p.m., other players — such as carryout places
and fullservice restaurants — become more competitive.
Tracking Takeout
Restaurants USA, June/July 1998
http://www.restaurant.org/research/magarticle.cfm?ArticleID=303
-------------------------------------
Overall, 22 percent of adults indicated they are ordering more takeout
items than they did two years ago. …more than one-third of adults age
18-24, and 31 percent of those aged 25-34 said they are ordering more
takeout
According to the National Restaurant Association's Tableservice Trends
2000, the trend is particularly evident among casual-dining
establishments with average check sizes between $8 and $24.99. Among
those establishments, which largely have been traditionally sit-down
restaurants, 57 percent of operators indicate that their customers are
ordering more takeout food than they were two years ago.
Takeout is Tops for Busy Americans
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=121
===========================================
GENERAL RESTAURANT INDUSTRY STATISTICS
===========================================
2003 Restaurant Industry Forecast: Executive Summary
http://www.restaurant.org/pdfs/research/2003_forecast_execsummary.pdf
Order full 2003 Restaurant Industry Forecast here:
http://www.restaurant.org/research/forecast_sales.cfm
VARIOUS NRA INDUSTRY REPORTS – ORDER HERE
https://www.restaurant.org/store/showprod.cfm?&DID=12&DID=12&CATID=49&ObjectGroup_ID=251
FAQ RESTAURANT STATISTICS
http://www.mhef.org/pdfs/industry_info8.pdf
So Rick1, that should be everything you need. If for any reason you
have any questions about what I've given you, or if any of the links
don't work, please feel free to ask me for a clarification. I'll be
happy to come back and clear things up for you.
And then, if you’re all set, I think I'm going to order up some
Chinese Take Out for dinner. For some reason I'm having a craving ….
-K~
search terms:
restaurant industry statistics
Chinese restaurants statistics
Ethnic restaurant statistics
*also searched for reports by name |
