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Snacking makes up 27% of quick-service restaurant traffic, finds research from the NPD Group. In total snacks are generating more than £3.7bn a year for the British economy, with retailers, supermarkets, and coffee chains collectively accounting for about 60% of all snack sales.
While the NPD's report concentrates on the impact of snacking on quick service restaurants, casual dining is also seeing an increase in guests appetite for mini-meals. Glenn Evans, Head of Food Development at Las Iguanas, commented on the correlation between the prevalence of snacking and the current popularity of small plates, tapas, and side orders. Guests find them "more flexible", said Evans in Quickbite Magazine, and say they can "fill a variety of needs throughout the day".
A rise in between-meal snacking could be great news for wet-led pubs, who have been struggling in recent years in comparison to their food-led counterparts. While many wet-led operators may have neither the facilities or the inclination to serve a full menu, they can have a selection of crisps, nuts, pork-scratchings, and other snack-food staples on hand for guests.
However, wet-led pub operators will need to make sure their team is taking every opportunity to benefit from peckish guests. It's often thought that wet-led pubs don't have the same opportunities for upselling as other sectors of the hospitality industry, outside of offering a larger measure or a premium drinks brand. However, recent analysis from one client in the pub industry revealed that over the past 6 months, 58% of the guests who were not upsold to would have ordered extra items- a significant number of sales opportunities to miss. Wet-led operators should ensure their team are checking with each guest whether they'd like a snack to accompany their drink.
The research from the NPD Group shows that for an increasingly busy population who find themselves lacking the time to sit and enjoy a full lunch or breakfast, snacking is a popular solution. Every operator should be able to easily add something to their experience for these hungry guests.
