Food Service Industry

Foodservice outlets are facilities that serve meals and snacks for immediate consumption on site (food away from home). Commercial foodservice establishments accounted for the bulk of food-away-from-home expenditures. This category includes full-service restaurants, limited-service outlets, caterers, some cafeterias—and other places that prepare, serve, and sell food to the general public for a profit.

ERS research examines:

the size of the growing foodservice market,
the major market segments such as limited-service and full-service outlets, and
recent issues in the foodservice industry such as diet quality and nutrition labeling

COVID-19 Working Paper: Food-Away-From-Home Acquisition Trends Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic Estimating the State-Level Food Expenditure Series The Rural Food-Away-from-Home Landscape, 1990–2019 COVID-19 Working Paper: Consumer Food Spending Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: December 2022

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Among Rural U.S. Counties, Those With Recreation-Dependent Economies Had Most Options Per Capita for Dining Out in 2019 Limited-Service Restaurants Closing Gap With Full-Service Establishments in Rural United States Spending Gap Between Full-Service and Quick-Service Restaurants Widened During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Higher Aggregate Incomes Buoyed U.S. Food Spending During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Recession Food Taxes Linked With Spending Habits of Lower Income Households

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Food Expenditure Series Food Dollar Series Price Spreads from Farm to Consumer Food Environment Atlas Fruit and Vegetable Prices

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Food Markets & Prices Food Prices, Expenditures, and Establishments Retailing & Wholesaling Food Choices & Health Diet Quality & Nutrition

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