Quick-service restaurant trends in the COVID era

Hope you’re doing well!  I’ve been keeping an eye on quick-service restaurant (QSR) trends and want to share a few thoughts about what to expect in 2021 -- as always, feel free to reach out with any questions.


Throughout the pandemic, QSRs have done all they can to reassure customers and make the dining experience safe, simple, and convenient. Here are a few trends we’re seeing that are likely to continue throughout the year.

1. Quick-service restaurants will head to suburbia. Heading to the suburbs will allow restaurants to build or renovate locations with smaller dining rooms, dedicated curbside parking, and contactless pick-up windows. 
2. Restaurant chains and ambitious restaurateurs will benefit from empty spaces left behind. Well-known chains will rush to fill locations in urban areas left by locally-owned restaurants forced to close their doors. Sadly, closures due to COVID-19 for “mom and pop” restaurants will mean significant deals for well-positioned chains and investors.
3. Restaurants will focus on and improve off-site purchases.  Restaurants were forced to adapt quickly to the pandemic last spring -- many offering pick-up and delivery even if they never had before. However, with 63% of customers saying they prefer to order directly from the restaurant over using third-party delivery services (DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, etc.), restaurants will look to expand and improve the off-premise dining experience.
4. Restaurants will personalize the customer’s experience at every turn. Tech-savvy customers want intuitive ordering from restaurants with the latest technology that recognizes them and their preferences. From remembering past purchases to showcasing similar menu items, quick-service chains will have to personalize if they want to keep up in a post-pandemic world.
5. Restaurants will disclose safety practices to customers looking for reassurance. Signage, digital messaging, and visual evidence of enhanced safety practices will be key to reassure customers of safe dining. Customers follow media and government influence, so restaurants will need to stay in line with public sentiment.

No industry has been hit harder by the pandemic than restaurants. But just like any business, by adjusting to customer demands, quick-service restaurants can position themselves to meet and surpass post-pandemic projections for 2021. And keep in mind, a vaccine could change everything once again…no doubt I’ll be keeping my eye on that and will let you know what I see.


As always, give me a call if you’d like to discuss. I look forward to hearing from you.

Mike Ziegler
Eagle Development Group
​571.335.7866