Franchise News
As vaccination rates pick up and consumers make plans for holiday celebrations, a new survey shows 38% of restaurant operators expect holiday sales to top pre-pandemic levels.
More than one third of restaurant owners currently expect to return to or exceed their pre-COVID holiday sales, according to recently released Lightspeed data.
The company surveyed over 600 restaurant owners and 1,100 diners from the U.S. and Canada and found that 83% of Americans plan to dine out during the holiday season and 84% of restaurant operators expect to meet or exceed pre-pandemic sales levels. This includes 46% percent of operators who said they expect to return to pre-COVID-19 sales levels during the holidays and 38% who said they expect to exceed pre-COVID-19 levels.
This renewed confidence may be a result of consumer behavior shifting as U.S. vaccination rates near 60%. Lightspeed reports that 39% of consumers plan to host a party for family and/or friends at a restaurant or bar and the 31% plan to host a corporate event at a restaurant or bar. One third of operators surveyed expect corporate holiday parties to make a comeback during the holidays.
The holiday season may also bring a boost to other revenue streams for restaurant operators. Lightspeed reports that 43% of diners in the U.S. plan to purchase a restaurant gift card and 29% of Americans plan to order catering for a holiday celebration.
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