Two recent bits of research say cafes are a great sector.
Allegra Strategies Eating Out in the UK 2011 and Mintel, as reported in the Caterer, state that:
- out of home eating is increasing in the low to mid-value end of the lunch market despite the economy
- coffee shops have the highest visit frequency of any catering outlets
- fast casual 'refuel' snack lunches are what consumers want
- local sourcing has real appeal and is the most important ethical initiative you can undertake
- customers are slowly getting the message about, and buying, healthy options
It is hardly surprising that there are new magazines (Lunch Business "for the 'grab & go' business professional"), new shows (Lunch!) and web portals (Caffe Culture). I am delighted to say that this blog is now getting over 100 page views a day plus an increasing number of followers on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. We're rocking.