The out-of-home eating sector is in a state of flux. After two years of pandemic, demand has now bounced back, a sign that most people will always want to eat out if they can. This year, finally, there will be a return to levels last seen in 2019. The figures are supplied by Trade Lab, which is forecasting that thanks to an excellent summer driven by the return of foreign tourists to Italy, 2022 should close at 82 billion euros, which does not quite match the 85 billion euros recorded in 2019 (an exceptional year for out-of-home eating) but comes pretty close. And it is certainly a huge improvement on the 54 billion euros in 2020 and the 65 billion euros of 2021.

But facts and figures aside, what emerges as we head towards another new year is a sector that has changed, that is resilient and that is now paying greater attention to management costs, digitisation, sustainability and product quality, combined with people’s desire to have a memorable experience.

So while demand remains strong (people are not willing to forego dining out) the actual things consumers are looking for are changing, and choices will also be affected by the drop in spending power and by rising inflation.

The market structure is not what it was,” explains Sara Silvestri, Senior Consultant for TradeLab at the event The Restaurant Insider. “Today people are looking for more efficiency (better managerial skills and attention to costs), a focus on ‘new’ quality and what now comes under the term ‘experientiality’, along with social and environmental sustainability and the drive towards digitisation.”

All eyes are on the catering chains, a network that is made up of many independent mini-chains, which recorded sales of 3.7 billion euros in 2008, a figure that rose to 6.6 billion euros in the year to the end of May 2022, with 500 operators, 700 formats and 10,000 outlets, accounting for 9% of the sector as a whole. “They have the advantage of being the most modern and dynamic division of the Italian foodservice sector. The segments that have grown the most are fusion, meat and pizza.”

The evolution is following a certain pattern. There is a reduction in the number of different format types, competition is being seen not at a regional level but is more about the specific nature of what is offered, and efforts are being made to standardise quality and make everything safer. Delivery is a huge ongoing development (800 million of the 6.6 billion euros were generated through home deliveries), with 20 brands in Italy now operating exclusively through dark kitchens.

The chains segment has good margins for growth in Italy, as was stressed by Alberto Cogliati, Secretary General of Assofranchising. “The foodservice market within the franchising sector is a leading player, with over 4,675 sales outlets in Italy and a turnover of more than 3 billion euros. These figures leave plenty of room for growth in the sector, considering the fact that franchised foodservice can draw on a model that is able to make specialist know-how and efficient organisation of establishments available to restaurateurs.”