A recent poll from Morning Consult found that 57% of Americans now feel comfortable dining indoors, a record high. Their results also showed that 68% people are willing to eat outdoors at restaurants.
The pandemic has drastically shifted the way people feel about eating at restaurants – however, as the US returns to relative normalcy, consumers are ready to venture out and be a part of their local communities.
The retail industry has demonstrated a solid rebound as we near a post-pandemic setting. Businesses in the restaurant sector are noticing the same upward trends, just at a slightly lower rate. Retail sales role 18% in March, with an 86% increase in mall traffic year-over-year. Forecasts from the National Retail Federation predict that retail sales will grow to more than $4.33 trillion in 2021.
Mall traffic is expected to hit a major surge and will continue to grow over the coming months. This will create additional demand for indoor and outdoor restaurants located in malls as consumer confidence rises.
Source: Indoor Dining – Business Insider
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