Food Carryout & Delivery: United States

Food Carryout & Delivery: United States

This report forecasts US food carryout and delivery sales in nominal US dollars for 2024-2028. To illustrate historical trends, total sales are provided in annual series from 2018 to 2023. Total demand is segmented by type in terms of: carryout and delivery.

This report focuses on prepared meals, snacks, and beverages ordered from restaurants and other venues such as convenience stores and grocery stores. This report does not include general grocery sales.

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).

Food 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. Also included are site-cooked/prepared, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat food 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; 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, ready-to-heat, or ready-to-cook (but already fully prepared) including refrigerated and frozen items.

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" sold by retailers; items that are not cooked/prepared and must be cooked/prepared by the user (e.g., meal kits, chicken pot pies with uncooked crust and meat, prepared fresh or frozen pizzas that are unbaked, ready-to-cook stir fry kits, and bags of fresh salad mix); packaged foods or beverages not prepared by the retailer (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