It's been more than eight months since the pandemic hit the U.S., and through it all, restaurants have had some of the most challenging times. Most were forced to innovate or risk shutting down. Those that chose to think out of the box added outside seating, delivery services, curbside pickup, boxed family dinners, and more.

That said, there is still room for restaurants to consider new features, according to a recent survey by The Coca-Cola Co. The canvass of 1,500 consumers and 418 restaurants found that there are still areas of opportunity for restaurants struggling to generate traffic.

Grocery is the area in which restaurants have the most room to grow. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of consumers that took part in the study said they were interested in getting groceries from restaurants, either on-premise or delivered, though only 29% of restaurants offered them. 

Consumers also showed considerable interest in getting meal kits from restaurants, with 53% saying they’d be willing to use that service while just 22% of restaurants offer them.

Other areas of opportunity identified by the survey are:

• 74% of consumers were interested in restaurants offering outdoor seating.
• 57% of consumers were interested in combined promotions with local retailers.
• 51% were interested in restaurants that offer beer and alcohol for takeout or delivery.
• 35% were interested in unique dining experiences, including a chef preparing a meal in someone's home.

If you’re interested in making any of these changes or more to your restaurant, Quikstone can help. Contact us for a no-cost or obligation pre-qualification. For the past fifteen years, we're proud of the help we've provided to hard-working businesses.