Food Carryout & Delivery


Attention: There is an updated edition available for this report.

Combining Packaged Facts’ extensive monitoring of the food and beverage market with proprietary surveys, Food Carryout and Delivery is the go-to source for a complete understanding of the U.S. food carryout and delivery market. This report evaluates current trends and future directions for marketing and retailing, along with consumer patterns across the food carryout and delivery market and broader food and beverage market.

Food Carryout and Delivery examines product availability; surveys retail channel trends; and analyzes consumer trends and motivations. Supplementing Packaged Facts’ exclusive survey is an extensive analysis of Simmons’ National Consumer Study, which is based on approximately 25,000 adult respondents surveyed annually. This report contains dozens of numerical tables and charts, as well as numerous product photographs.


  • Executive Summary
    • Expanding Availability of Carryout and Delivery: COVID-19 and Beyond
    • Foodservice Packaging Opportunities
    • Key Consumer Trends
    • Scope
  • Market Size and Forecast
    • Highlights
    • Total Foodservice Revenues by Type of Establishment
      • Scope
      • Forecast
        • Table Foodservice Revenues by Type of Establishment, 2014-2019, 2020E, and 2024P (billion dollars)
    • Foodservice Revenue by Dine-In vs. Off-Premises Dining
      • Scope
      • Forecast
        • Table Foodservice Revenues by Type of Establishment, 2014-2019, 2020E, and 2024P (billion dollars)
    • Historical Food Carryout and Delivery Market
      • Scope
      • Historical Trends
        • Table Food Carryout & Delivery Historical Market, 2014-2019 (billion dollars)
    • Food Carryout and Delivery Market Forecast
      • Table Food Carryout & Delivery Forecast, 2019-2024 (billion dollars)
    • Food Carryout and Delivery Market by Retailer Category
    • Third-Party Delivery Sales
  • Ordering Platforms
    • Highlights
    • In-Person Purchases for Carryout
      • Restaurant Orders
      • Grocery Orders
    • Third-Party Ordering vs. In-House Ordering
      • In-House Purchases for Takeout or Delivery
      • Third-Party Restaurant Purchases for Takeout or Delivery
      • Third-Party Retailer Ordering
    • Online & Mobile Ordering
      • Restaurant Ordering
      • Grocery Ordering
    • Phone Ordering Remains Important For Small, Independent Restaurants & Older Consumers
  • Consumer Use & Attitude Trends
    • Highlights
    • Eating Food For Carryout or Delivery Is Well-Established and Rising
      • Table Consumer Use of Convenience Foodservice Options, 2019 (percent)
    • Rising Number of Consumers Who Consume Pre-Cooked Meals
      • Table Consumption of Store-Made, Pre-Cooked Meals, 2014-2019 (percent of adults)
    • Preference For Fresh, Healthy, or Home-Cooked Meals Is Falling in Favor of Convenient Food Options
      • Table Consumer Opinions About Food, Diet, and Convenience, 2014 vs. 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Consumers Are Now More Likely to Have Positive Opinions About Fast Food
      • Table Consumer Opinions About Fast Food, 2014 vs. 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Use of Restaurants Has Remained Relatively Stable
      • Table Use of Restaurants and Online Grocery Delivery Services, 2014-2019 (percent of adults)
    • More Consumers Report Being Frequent Visitors of Restaurants, Grocery Stores, and Convenience Stores
      • Table Number of Times Visited/Shopped at Venue in the Last 4 Weeks/30 Days, 2014-2019 (percent of adults)
  • Trends and Opportunities
    • Highlights
    • Convenience the Ultimate Selling Point for Busy Consumers
    • U.S. Online Grocery Shopping Well Behind Other Countries, but There Are Opportunities for Prepared Meals
    • Breakfast vs. Lunch vs. Dinner vs. Non-Peak Hours
    • Orders at Peak Dining Hours Can Be Supplemented by Third-Parties
    • "Dark Kitchens" or "Ghost Kitchens" Can Increase Operational Efficiency
    • Using Dine-In Experiences to Boost Takeout Sales
    • FDA Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act Makes Nutrition Information Easier to Get for Restaurant Dine-In, Delivery, or Carryout
    • Convenience Used to Mean Unhealthy Foods, but Restaurant Foods Are Getting Healthier and Even Emphasizing Clean Label Traits
    • Direct Sellers and Home Delivery Companies Are Increasing Shareand Tackling Niche Health Food Markets
      • Table Selected Meal Delivery Services by Date Founded, Services Offered, and Geographic Area Served
    • Local and Regional Meal Delivery Companies Are Emphasizing Local Ingredients and Compete with National Providers
    • Customized Meal Delivery Catering to Special Diets and Weight Loss Plans
    • Opportunity: Expansion of Carryout and Delivery Options for Children and Families
    • Opportunity: Expedited Avenues for Ordering Prepared Meals from Grocery and Convenience Stores
    • Opportunity: Meal Delivery and Carryout From Restaurants and Retail Stores Can Expand Food Options for Older and Disabled Consumers
    • Opportunity: Multi-Channel Sales and Expanding Options for Ultimate Convenience
  • Food Takeout and Delivery Market Participants
    • Highlights
    • Third-Party Carryout/Delivery Services
      • Table Selected Third-Party Delivery Services and Years Founded
      • Grubhub
      • Uber Eats
      • DoorDash
      • Postmates
    • Aggregator, Reservation, and Review Sites
      • FoodBoss
      • OpenTable
      • Tripadvisor
      • Yelp
    • Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs)
      • Domino's Pizza
      • Starbucks
      • McDonald's
    • Fast Casual Restaurants
      • Panera Bread
      • Chipotle Mexican Grill
    • Full-Service Restaurants
      • Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse)
      • Dine Brands Global (Applebee's and IHOP)
      • Bloomin' Brands (Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Outback Steakhouse)
    • Retail Stores (Grocery Stores, Supermarkets, Mass Marketers, Warehouse Clubs, Convenience Stores, etc.)
      • Kroger
      • Walmart
      • Costco
      • 7-Eleven
    • Direct Marketers and Other Meal Providers (Co-ops, Farmers Markets, Delivery Companies, etc.)
      • Freshly
  • Packaging Trends
    • Highlights
    • Types of Packaging Used in Foodservice and Carryout and Delivery
      • Quick Service Restaurants
      • Fast Casual Restaurants
      • Full-Service Restaurants
      • Other Foodservice Venues (Institutional Eating and Drinking Establishments, Lodging and Hospitality, Sports and Recreation, etc.)
      • Retail Stores (Grocery and Convenience Stores, Warehouse Clubs, Mass Retailers, etc.)
      • Other Retailers (Co-Ops and Farmers' Markets, Direct Marketers and Mail Order/Delivery Companies, etc.)
    • Bring Your Own Container/Reusable Packaging
    • Sustainability Issues
      • Improving Environmental Profiles by Using Recyclable/Sustainable Packaging
      • Single-Use Products Being Used More for Sanitary Reasons Due to COVID-19
    • Tamper Evident Packaging for Safety and Peace of Mind
    • Consumer Packaging Insights
      • Environmental Attitudes
        • Table Consumer Opinions on Recycling & Packaging, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 (percent)
        • Table Consumer Attitudes on Recycling Packaging and Single-Use Plastics, 2019 (percent)
      • Opinions on Packaging and Serviceware in Foodservice
        • Table Consumer Attitudes About Packaging & Serviceware Used in Foodservice, 2019 (percent)
      • Attitudes About Straws
        • Table Consumer Attitudes about Disposable and Reusable Straws and Straw Regulations, 2019 (percent)
  • Consumer Demographics
    • Highlights
    • Younger and Lower Income Consumers Are More Likely to Eat Store- Made, Pre-Cooked Meals
      • Table Use of Store-Made, Pre-Cooked Meals by Age Bracket and Household Income Bracket, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Store-Made, Pre-Cooked Meals Are Most Likely to be Used by Minorities
      • Table Use of Store-Made, Pre-Cooked Meals by Race/Ethnicity, Parenthood, and Gender, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Consumers with More Children or Younger Children Have More Reasons to Select Pre-Cooked Options
      • Table Use of Store-Made, Pre-Cooked Meals by Number and Age of Children in Household, 2019 (percent of adults with children)
    • Use of Pre-Cooked Meals Higher Among Consumers with Less Education, College Students, Unemployed, and Unmarried People
      • Table Use of Store-Made, Pre-Cooked Meals by Education, Student Status, Marriage/Partnership, and Employment, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Millennials and Generation X Eat Out More and Spend More at Restaurants
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Age Bracket, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Higher Income Consumers More Likely to Dine Out and Spend the Most at Restaurants
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Household Income Bracket, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Men and Consumers with Children Are More Likely to Spend Large Dollar Amounts at Restaurants
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Gender and Parenthood, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • White Consumers More Likely to Visit Restaurants, but Most Minority Groups Are More Likely to Be High Spenders
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Race/Ethnicity, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Higher Education Is Correlated with More Restaurant Spending
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Education, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • College Students and Full-Time Workers Spend More At Restaurants
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Student and Employment Status, 2019 (percent of adults)
    • Married Consumers Are More Likely to Have High Restaurant Spending
      • Table Money Spent at Restaurants in the Last 30 Days by Marriage/Partnership Status, 2019 (percent of adults)
  • Consumer Psychographics
    • Highlights
    • Women Have More Concerns About Food and Health and Tend to Cook More, Making Prepared Meals a Harder Sell
      • Table Consumer Opinions on Health, Food, and Nutrition by Gender, 2019 (percent of adults strongly agreeing with statement)
    • Baby Boomers Are Most Involved with Their Health and Have More Time to Prepare Food
      • Table Consumer Opinions on Health, Food, and Nutrition by Age Bracket, 2019 (percent of adults strongly agreeing with statement)
    • Minorities Generally Have More Health and Food-Related Concerns
      • Table Consumer Opinions on Health, Food, and Nutrition by Race/Ethnicity, 2019 (percent of adults strongly agreeing with statement)
    • Younger Consumers Are Busy, Sacrifice Time with Family, and Spend More Time Shopping
      • Table Consumer Feelings on Family, Work/Life Balance, Shopping, and Stress by Age Bracket, 2019 (percent of adults strongly agreeing with statement)
    • Younger Consumers Who Feel Lonely or Worried Eat More Convenience Food Options
      • Table Worried and Lonely Consumers: Use of Fast Food & Pre-Cooked Meals, Age 18-24 and 25-34, 2019 (percent of adults)
  • Coronavirus Creating Evolution in Delivery and Carryout
    • Highlights
    • Contactless Transactions
      • Contactless Delivery & Carryout Intended to Reduce Infection Spread and to Give Peace of Mind
      • Contactless and Mobile Payments Remove the Need for Signatures or Touching a Potentially Dirty Terminal
      • Will Contactless Transactions Land With Customers?
    • People Are Cooking More and Changing How They Shop for Groceries While Stuck at Home: What Does This Mean for Food Takeout and Delivery?
    • Free Delivery and Other Promotions Offered Temporarily by Big Chain Restaurants to Stimulate Sales Amid Dine-In Closures
    • Independent Restaurants Offering More Carryout & Delivery Options
    • Family Meal Portions Becoming the Focus of Many Carryout and Delivery Options at Restaurants

Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research

Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.

Download eBook
Cookie Settings