On-The-Go: Business Travelers Prove To Be an Important Demographic for QSR and Fast Casual Franchises

Every day, approximately 1.3 million business travelers catch flights, trains and automobiles to take the journey to their next meeting, according to a study done by The Global Business Travel Association. Based on information gathered by Dinova, a B2B service for connecting business travelers with restaurants, this demographic tends to spend twice as much as any other foodservice customer. 

In comparison to other groups, the on-the-go business traveler is more likely to choose a QSR or fast casual restaurant. From Shake Shack to Blaze Pizza, major fast casual brands have been ramping up efforts to reach the traveling consumer by opening locations in airports.

Earlier this summer, Panera entered a partnership with HMSHost, a global restaurateur that develops travel dining venues, to expand its brand within major U.S. airports and travel plazas. Pret A Manger recently opened its first airport location, even adapting its offerings to better cater to the business traveler with more grab-and-go items on the menu.

It’s not just airports that are proving to be hubs for travel consumers, either, but also rest stop centers located along busy highways. These plazas have opened up opportunities for brands like Chick-fil-A and Shake Shack.

Of course, there’s no escaping online ordering, even for travelers. According to Dinova, 63 percent of business travelers surveyed use dining-related apps extensively. Considering many of these consumers find themselves in unfamiliar towns, Dinova’s study says that 54 percent use mobile devices to search for local places to eat, 51 percent use them to research menus and 47 percent make mobile reservations. 

A recent forecast projects that U.S. airports will see over 25% growth in the next 10 years. As franchise brands continue to fight for the traveling consumer’s business, the competition to feed hungry travelers shouldn’t slow anytime soon. 

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