MRM Research Roundup: Mid-August 2021 Edition

This edition of MRM Research Roundup features the latest facts and figures of restaurant operations, the state of business dining, and the mid-year gift card report. The State of the Restaurant IndustryThe second quarter of this year reflects a period during which state and local governments lifted pandemic restrictions, restaurants reopened, people got vaccinated, and consumers used restaurants more than they did throughout the pandemic, reports The NPD Group. Consumer spending at restaurants was up +32 percent in the April-May-June 2021 quarter compared to the same quarter last year, and for a pre-pandemic view, flat compared to the same quarter in 2019. Restaurant visits, dining in or off-premises, increased by +22 percent in the quarter compared to the same quarter last year and were down -7 percent compared to the second quarter of 2019, according to NPD’s daily tracking of the U.S. foodservice industry.

Quick service restaurants (QSRs), representing 81 percent of restaurant…