According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast, roughly one-quarter of consumers say technology options are important features that factor into their decision to choose a restaurant. This is up from the nearly one-fifth the prior year that said the same, underscoring that technology quickly is becoming an expectation rather than a novelty when dining out.
In addition, consumers are showing increasing interest in local sourcing, with eight in 10 tableservice operators saying their guests are more interested in locally sourced items this year, compared with seven in 10 who said the same a year earlier. And, 69 percent of consumers say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally produced food items, up 5 percentage points from what consumers said a year earlier.
Eight in 10 of consumers say restaurants offer a wider variety of healthy menu options now compared to two years ago, and three-quarters say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers healthy options; seven in 10 say they also order more healthful options in restaurants than they did two years ago.
For additional information and to buy the 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast, visit Restaurant.org/Forecast.