PPB January 2021

States With The Most Struggling Restaurants The pandemic has impacted food establishments in different ways. Restaurants in these 10 states felt the most severe impact in terms of year-over-year revenue: Average State revenue down Florida .................. 60% South Carolina....... 59% Nevada ................. 59% California ............. 59% New York ............. 53% Georgia ................ 51% Washington .......... 47% Montana .............. 47% North Carolina...... 46% Tennessee............ 45% Source: Stacker More Opportunities To Tout Safety Before customers ask if a restaurant offers to-go margaritas by the gallon, they rst want to hear about its safety measures. Restaurants can use promotional products to communicate the initiatives that matter most to patrons. Consumers most want to hear about the topics below: Measures to ensure food safety ........................... 49% Measures to ensure employee safety ................... 47% Measures to ensure safety of takeout and delivery.......... 44% Service updates.................... 36% Sanitation steps.................... 35% Sales promotions.................. 29% Involvement in the local community................... 21% Employee bene ts ................ 20% New menu items .................. 18% To-go alcohol options............ 12% Source: Datassential Restoring Jobs For Restaurant Workers At the start of the pandemic, three decades of restaurant jobs—6.1 million—were temporarily wiped out in March and April alone, according to the National Restaurant Association. Fortunately, by the end of last year, restaurants had rehired approximately 3.44 million workers. As the industry continues to recover this year, food establishments can look to promotional items to recruit, reward and celebrate the chefs, baristas, servers and other staff members who keep the businesses running. Bring On The Comfort Foods Dif cult times call for delicious foods—at least according to a study from OnePoll and Farm Rich. During the pandemic, the average American enjoys comfort meals ve times per week and indulges in comfort food snacks six times a week. The most craved foods last year? Pizza, hamburgers and ice cream. According to the study, nearly half (41 percent) of people turn to comfort foods because they bring them happiness while 39 percent say these foods give them something to look forward to during times of uncertainty. A Slow-Down In Fast Food The pandemic has caused a rush for fast food, leading to slower lines at the drive-thru. The average wait time in 2020 slowed by nearly half a minute, according to an annual study by SeeLevel HX. Help To Get Restaurants Back Open The Playbook To Restart Businesses, a PPB supplement, provides a visual journey through seven different types of businesses, including restaurants, with checklists of product ideas and suggestions to help distributors assist their clients in jumpstarting their business by incorporating promo products. Download it free at pubs.ppai.org/ supplements; an ad-free version is also available for distributors to share with their buyers. A PPB Supplement Jump To The Table of Contents | JANUARY 2021 | 41 GROW