I get a lot of phone calls that go something like this: How many non-commercial operators are doing X. Or what percentage of non-commercial facilities offer Y. Most of the time I can’t give an exact number because, unlike their commercial counterparts, very little research is done about the non-commercial foodservice industry. That’s all about to change.
Fed up with the lack of detailed research about the industry, I proposed a massive research project—The Big Picture. We launched five surveys this year on topics ranging from gluten-free dining to food trucks and breakfast. (A huge “thanks” to those of you who participated in answering our questions.)
And now it’s time to release the results. You might just be surprised by what your peers are doing or plan to do in the next two years.
The Big Picture takes over our December issue. You’ll still find favorites like Steal This Idea and FSD of the Month, but the majority of the issue will be made up of information that’s designed to give you an overarching look at where the non-commercial foodservice industry is and, more importantly, what it will look like in the next couple of years.
During the next month, you’ll find teases to our The Big Picture findings on our website and in our newsletters. Your first peek comes from our Health and Wellness survey.
We asked operators what changes they plan to make to their menus in the next 12 months to make them healthier. The No. 1 answer—with 38% of operators—was offering gluten-free options.
Be sure to check out our Research section for The Big Picture updates, including more on how operators plan to make their menus healthier.