According to the latest data from CREST/NPD Group, restaurant traffic in Canada is now evenly spread across all four dayparts. What does that mean, exactly?
Simply put, each of the four dayparts - times of day when customers typically order meals and snacks at restaurants - now accounts for roughly the same amount of traffic, or visits. Breakfast/morning snacks make up 25% of all meal occasions, followed in the day by lunch (25%), supper (26%) and afternoon/evening snacks (24%).
Among those visits, though, there is sometimes a dramatic difference between the type of restaurant consumers choose to visit. At supper, nearly half (48%) of visits are to full-service restaurants while quick-service restaurants snag only 18% of traffic. The same holds true for where those meals and snacks are eaten: while most lunches and suppers ordered at restaurants are eaten at the restaurant, the opposite is true for breakfasts/morning snacks and afternoon/evening snacks, which are more likely to be eaten on-the-go.
For more news about dining by dayparts — including the top five menu items and fastest growing menu items for each daypart — check out page 25 of the 2008 edition of Foodservice Facts. CRFA members will receive a complimentary copy in the mail in May. If you’re not a member, why not order a copy today? Heck, why not become a member today?
