A recent survey by foodservice consultants Technomic revealed that a substantial number of consumers turn to restaurants and food retailers to fill the stomachs of their guests when hosting parties and other social events in their homes.
More than one in three respondents reported that they've ordered meals or platters for meetings, parties, and social occasions, with 79 percent reporting that these purchases were for personal social occasions rather than work-related events. Moreover, these purchases are made with relative frequency, with 33 percent indicting they place these type of orders at least once a month.
The findings have prompted Technomic to launch a new study, POP: Parties Off-Premise, which will more closely examine the size of the opportunity, fully evaluate consumers' catering usage and preferences, and identify ways to successfully build sales through consumer catering programs.
