Food Carryout & Delivery: United States

Food Carryout & Delivery: United States

This report forecasts US food carryout and delivery sales in nominal US dollars for 2022-2026. To illustrate historical trends, total sales are provided in annual series from 2016 to 2021. Total demand is segmented by type in terms of: carryout and delivery.

This report focuses on carryout and delivery of prepared meals and food/beverages. Included order fulfillment methods are: curbside pickup, drive-thru orders, drive-thru pickup, in-house delivery, in-store/on-premises pickup, in-store/on-premises purchase for takeout, shipping, and third-party delivery.

The food carryout and delivery industry is broad. Establishments selling prepared food and beverage items for carryout or delivery included in this report are: quick service restaurants (e.g., McDonald's, Subway, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, KFC, Domino's, and Starbucks); fast casual restaurants (e.g., Chipotle, Boston Market, Panera Bread, Five Guys, Bruegger's Bagels, Noodles & Co, and Jimmy John's); full service restaurants, cafeterias/buffets, and bars (e.g., TGI Fridays, Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, PF Chang's, Black Bear Diner, Dave & Busters, Miller's Ale House, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Golden Corral); other foodservice establishments (e.g., hospitals, schools, nursing homes, assisted living centers, prisons, catering companies, museums, hotels, motels, cruise ships, stadiums, arenas, zoos, movie theaters, carnivals, and amusement parks – the vast majority of foods available at these establishments are eaten on the premises, however); retail establishments, which encompass grocery stores, mass marketers, warehouse clubs, and convenience stores (e.g., Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, 7-Eleven, Circle K, and Pilot Flying J); direct marketers and other meal providers (e.g., co-ops, farmers' markets, and meal delivery/mail order companies); and third-parties/off-premises entities preparing or delivering food on behalf of these venues (e.g., ghost kitchens and third-party delivery services such as Instacart, Grubhub, and DoorDash).

Foods and beverages included in the scope of this report are carryout and delivery of: any food and beverage sold by foodservice operations/venues such as restaurants, cafeterias, bars, hotels, stadiums, and movie theaters; site-cooked/prepared, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat foods and beverages from retailers, such as rotisserie and fried chicken (often sold by the piece, as a whole bird, or in a family meal container), pizza (both whole pies and individual slices), items sold at a sandwich/salad/soup bar, items sold at a sushi bar, items sold at a hot food bar, and single-serve ready-to-eat items (e.g., small cups of fresh cut fruit packed by the store and wrapped sandwiches); and fresh, prepared meals sold via direct marketers/mail order companies/delivery companies in single servings or family servings that are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat, including refrigerated items and items that are flash-frozen for shipment.

Excluded from the food carryout and delivery numbers in non-foodservice establishments are: prepared foods sold for catering to groups/events (e.g., sandwich platters, large containers of macaroni salad, and vegetable/fruit trays); frozen, uncooked microwave dinners often known as "TV dinners"; store-made items that are not cooked/prepared and must be cooked/prepared by the user (e.g., chicken pot pies with uncooked crust and meat, prepared fresh or frozen pizzas that are unbaked, ready-to-cook stir fry kits, meal kits, and bags of fresh salad mix); packaged foods or beverages not prepared on site (e.g., bottled water and bags of national or regional branded potato chips); and general grocery items that are not packaged/presented for consumption on-the-go or at home (e.g., fresh produce, even if a consumer could buy a single apple and eat it with lunch on-the-go).

Other various topics, including profiles of pertinent leading companies, are covered in this report. A full outline of report items by page is available in the Table of Contents.

Related NAICS Codes:
492210 Local Messengers and Local Delivery
722310 Food Service Contractors
722320 Caterers
722330 Mobile Food Services
722410 Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
722511 Full-Service Restaurants
722513 Limited-Service Restaurants
722514 Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets
722515 Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars