4 chicken foodservice trends to plan for in 2023

As chicken consumers flock back to foodservice, it’s important for brands to understand how demand is changing.

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As chicken consumers flock back to foodservice, it’s important for brands to understand how demand is changing.

“Restaurants were hit really hard during COVID. If you look at the number of closures, that was really impactful and it hurt the industry,” Sid Shetty, chief business development officer, ServiceChannel, said. “But what happened after that is that restaurants bounced back big time.”

During The State of the Restaurant Industry and 2023 Trends, Shetty and Bashir Abdallah, chief product officer, ServiceChannel, explored the top trends foodservice should be thinking about going into 2023.

1. Where consumers eat with foodservice is changing

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 5% of restaurant meals were takeout. That number has grown to 15-20%. 

“Consumer expectations around food has also changed. They’ve always had high expectations when it comes to food, but I think those expectations are now heightened,” Shetty explained, noting that that expectations include restaurant cleanliness and safety.

2. The customer experience is more important than ever

In addition, consumers missed out on the dining out experience during COVID-19. Although they are eager to eat out again, they may no longer have the loyalties to the same brands they held pre-pandemic. A negative experience – as simple as a rickety table – could have serious negative repercussions for a brand in retaining customers.

“Customer experience is a major driver,” added Abdullah. “Operators are aware of that and trying to react accordingly.”

3. How consumers interact with foodservice is also changing

Consumers also now interact with brands in more ways than ever – drive-through, apps, third-party delivery, social media, staff and more. They want the messaging they receive from all of these channels to be consistent, easy to use and welcoming.

4. Foodservice staffing will continue to be challenging

Similar to the labor shortages seen in the poultry industry, foodservice continues to struggle with hiring, retaining and training staff long term. This can result in customer frustrations if delays occur.

“We’re seeing technology companies rise up to support that challenge,” Abdallah said.

For example, earlier this year, Chick-fil-A began piloting the use of autonomous vehicles to deliver food to guests within one mile of select restaurant locations in California, Texas and Florida.

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