PPB January 2021

FANDESIGN / Shutterstock.com. Market Snapshot More than almost anything (including going on vacation, going to the movies and attending sporting events), people want to get back to their favorite sit-down restaurants. According to Datassential, 84 percent of people say they miss dining in restaurants—an activity that is second only to visiting in person with loved ones. Dining establishments can return the love through promotional products. If customers aren’t ready to sit down inside a restaurant yet, dining establishments can connect with them through takeout. Instead of sending their carryout meals home in a disposable bag, eateries can package items in a logoed bag customers can use again. Restaurants can also use promotional products to tap into trends like #TakeoutTuesday or #CarryoutWednesday. While it may be some time before patrons pack into restaurants for Sunday brunch or crowd into sports bars to watch a big game, recovery is well under way. As re-openings expand this year, restaurants can use promotional campaigns to highlight COVID-friendly operations and let their employees and diners know they stand with them. Restaurant Fast Facts • The restaurant industry’s share of the food dollar: Domino’s Pizza sales revealed a pandemic pizza boom, with the company generating $240 million the first half of 2020, a 30-percent increase over the previous year, according to Fortune . Flour and other baking necessities flew off store shelves almost as fast as toilet paper. King Arthur, a 231-year- old flour brand, saw its retail flour sales triple when the pandemic began last spring, according to Bloomberg Businessweek . After weeks of quarantining and months of doing almost everything from home, sitting down at a restaurant feels like a distant memory. But food establishments of all sizes and sorts persevered and looked for new and innovative ways to serve their customers. The restaurant industry, which Research and Markets projects to reach $4.2 trillion by 2024, is nothing if not creative. When restrictions lifted, some restaurants rolled out make-at-home meal kits and family-sized to-go meals. Others added plastic shields to check-out counters, began taking temperature checks at the door, and offered patrons contactless payment options and curbside pickup. Some restaurants became more like general stores, selling eggs, meat and other grocery staples. While the pandemic has led to the closure of nearly one in six restaurants in the U.S., according to the National Restaurant Association, the industry is heating up again. Food trucks and farmers’ markets are growing especially fast, with 1,734 and 211 openings, respectively, in the third quarter of 2020. In the year ahead, restaurants will continue to adapt and strive to fill their (socially distanced) tables once again. New restaurants—especially those with open-air formats that allow for safe distancing—are already emerging at pre- pandemic levels, according to Yelp. Whether food establishments are reopening after an extended closure or opening their doors for the first time, promotional products distributors can help them navigate the path ahead. Through promotional items, restaurants can educate about safety measures, promote specials, introduce new offerings and share how patrons can savor their favorite foods on their own terms. • The total economic impact of the restaurant industry is more than $2.5 trillion • Restaurants employ more women managers than any other industry • The restaurant industry is projected to add 1.6 million jobs by 2030 Source: National Restaurant Association IN 1955 IN 2020 25% 51% | JANUARY 2021 | 39 GROW