Is there a restaurant bounce back occurring in the U.S?
Yes, indeedy.
According to a March 2023 Forbes article, “the doomsayers who predicted the literal demise of the U.S. restaurant industry after COVID proved myopic in the extreme.” Why? Because the restaurant industry has bounced back, and many segments are doing even better today than before the pandemic.
This is based on a Nationwide Insurance study, the “Agency Forward Restaurant Survey.” Nationwide insures restaurants and advises them on various issues, from supply chain challenges and pricing to coping with inflation.
Among the findings of the survey are the following:
• Not only have fine, casual, and family-style restaurants returned to pre-pandemic business levels, but fast-food and chain restaurants have as well.
• Inflation and intermittent supply chain issues have not significantly impacted most restaurants.
• About 30 percent of restaurant owners in the U.S. have reduced operating hours since the pandemic. But this has had a positive effect. By reducing overhead expenses, profits have gone up.
• Before the pandemic, many restaurants did not offer take-out, delivery, or pickup. But since the pandemic, all types of restaurants now offer these services, and they have become big moneymakers. Further, some deliver alcoholic beverages as well. Serving alcohol has long been a revenue generator for restaurants.
• Today, 77 percent of restaurant patrons rate their experience dining in restaurants as good to excellent, higher than before the pandemic.
• Sixty-seven percent of restaurant patrons reported that restaurant cleanliness has improved since the pandemic, and 94 percent are happy to see this. (Our highlight)
So, why has cleanliness improved since the pandemic? Among the reasons cited in the study are the following:
• Everyone, including restaurant owners and managers, has become much more mindful of hygiene since COVID, far more than before the pandemic.
• Restaurant organizations have encouraged restaurant owners and managers to prioritize health and safety by providing them with restaurant-specific resources and science-proven ways to maintain the health of their facilities.
• Restaurant owners have turned to new, safer cleaning products, designed to improve health and safety.
It is this last point we’ll explore in greater detail.
Restaurants and food service facilities have traditionally used powerful cleaning solutions. These solutions were selected because they have proved their effectiveness and have been used for decades to clean restaurants.
However, little or no concern has been paid to the impact these cleaning solutions have had on the environment, users, or sustainability — something that has risen to the forefront since the pandemic.
These traditional cleaning solutions are manufactured using petroleum byproducts and non-renewable resources. To meet customer expectations and grow their businesses, restaurant owners/managers now know such chemicals are no longer acceptable to the American public.
In their place, they have adopted citric acid-based cleaning solutions, such as those marketed by ProNatural Brands. The reasons why are many; however, we can narrow them down to the following:
- Citric acid-based cleaning solutions have long proved their cleaning effectiveness in food-service facilities.
- They have minimal impact on the environment or the user because they are manufactured using lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits.
- Citrus fruits grow abundantly around the world, making them very sustainable.
- Citric acid-based cleaning solutions have a reduced carbon footprint because citrus fruits require less water and land to grow than many other fruit products.
- Because lemons, limes, and other citrus products are used in so many ways — from cleaning solutions, soft drinks, cosmetics, to salads – they generate less waste than many other agricultural items.
Using safer, effective, and more sustainable cleaning products has helped rebuild customer confidence about dining in restaurants, which, in turn, has played a significant role in improving restaurant profits. We expect this to continue.
Pronatural Brands cleaning, sanitizing & disinfecting products are made from 100% naturally derived, FDA approved food additive ingredients. They are just as powerful as leading chemical-based solutions – just safer. For more information, contact us here.
