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Written by Nick Hucker, CEO, Preoday.

With consumers now more tech savvy than ever, this shift in behaviour is driving some big changes in the hospitality sector.

UK millennials now account for an annual £27 billion of restaurant spend: 30% of the total market.

According to analysts, millennials are set to have more spending power than Baby Boomers for the first time this year.

Did you know that mobile food ordering has now eclipsed ordering via the telephone in most markets? Additionally, the reach of restaurant categories that weren’t typical delivery options has been extended; historically Pizza, Chinese and perhaps Italian sandwiches were common, but much of what you will find in the mobile sphere nowadays wasn’t available for delivery. In the mid-90s, McDonald’s offered bike delivery in China, but that was certainly an early move in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) space to explore the field. But the playing field has changed and every food outlet, ranging from a well operated QSR, fast casual to a luxury, Michelin-starred restaurant has the potential to see growth “in the bag” as bags leave to cater to those who ordered to go/takeaway for delivery.

If you’re looking to grow your restaurant business you’re probably considering how and where to make key investments. For businesses also looking for industry expertise, the right network, and strategic advice in areas such as recruitment, marketing, or rollout proposition, private equity investment can be an attractive proposition. Steve Cordiner of Livingbridge, a growth partner accelerating expansion for operators, with investments in the likes of Pho, Rhubarb and Bistrot Pierre, offers his advice on how restaurant operators looking for this sort of investment can stand out in a crowded marketplace:

IGD found that shoppers expect a wider range of both vegetarian and free from ranges in the food-to-go outlets they visit.

How Can QSRs and Restaurants Use the Global Pre-Ordering Trend to Their Advantage?

From the rise of alcohol-free, to the growing importance of experience, new research reveals the restaurant brands attracting millennials.

Greggs and Pret both fall within the market classification of food-to-go specialists.

The retail sector has traditionally been an early adopter of new consumer-facing technology, typically turning to technology to maximise efficiencies and to augment the customer experience to deliver increased turnover. Now, several key advances are overlapping into the restaurant arena, giving operators the opportunity to take advantage of the latest advancements in sales and stock management.

Restaurant operators are constantly looking for innovative ways to grow their estate, footfall and offering.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the hygiene risk in food environments.

SAI Global supports Risk Management within Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)

Food inflation in the UK hit its highest rate in three years in June. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices were 2.3 per cent higher than a year earlier, up from a rate of 2.1 per cent in May. Therefore, restaurant operators need to get wise to this growing expense without causing harm to their business.