Survey Says… Social Media Drives Full-Service Restaurant Industry To $23 Billion

February 1, 2013


Survey SaysAs the market continues to make its come back after the recent recession The NPD Group released their “Full-Service Dining: How to Win Customers Back” report which looks at the use of social media by full-service restaurants (FSRs) across Canada.

Based on the report, ne-third of FSR visitors (35 per cent) say that word-of-mouth recommendations or feedback shared on social media sites influences their decisions on where to eat. This compares to only 28 per cent who look for restaurant promotions or other deals made available on group discount websites.

“Restaurateurs should never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth, a critical factor in the highly competitive restaurant industry,” said Robert Carter, Executive Director of Foodservice at The NPD Group. “That being said, when we talk about social media recommendations it’s less about restaurants getting ‘Likes’ on Facebook and more about engaging and interacting with your customers. Canadians want to know that when they’re going out to eat, they’re getting value for their money and the quickest way to get this vote of confidence is through their peer networks online.”

Recommendations still account of a significant amount of traffic, the overall dining experience and quality of the meal remain vital to guaranteeing return visits, according to the NPD foodservice report. In fact, 73 per cent of Canadians who visited FSRs say they look for the full dining experience when choosing a FSR. This includes the quality of the food, the service and the atmosphere.  Further, 77 per cent expect higher quality food at FSRs compared to meals they can get at quick service restaurants (QSRs).

“Social media helps get customers in the door, but FSRs need to focus on delivering a memorable experience to generate repeat business,” continued Carter. “Based on our ongoing research, these factors prove more important than any pricing promotion.”

Despite a promising growth outlook for the foodservice industry in 2013, full-service traffic still lags compared to 2008 levels. NPD’s CREST, which continuously tracks how consumers use restaurants and other foodservice outlets,  revealed that while Canadian full-service dining saw 1.66 billion visits in 2012 – an increase of three per cent versus 2011 – annual visits still fall well below the record traffic achieved in 2008 (1.76 billion visits).


Join other professionals!

Get news, tips and other industry news delivered into your inbox.

#1 source for breaking news about Canada's communications and public relations industry


Related Stories:


Dave Forde


Dave “The Connector” Forde has been involved in the marketing, public relations and technology industry across Canada for over 15 years in various sales and marketing roles, he launched The Connected One network of business sites which connects buyers to the right sellers. Profectio and PR In Canada covers news about the marketing and public relations industry each day helping professionals advance their career and businesses.
He also serves as an advisor to a number of businesses across the country. Find Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter.

>