PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1997762
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1997762
Food away from home encompasses meals prepared and consumed outside one's residence, typically in restaurants, cafes, or similar dining establishments. The primary goals of dining out include convenience, social interaction, and enjoyment, allowing individuals to explore new cuisines, socialize with others, and savor professionally prepared meals without the need to cook themselves.
The main categories of food away from home occasions include entertainment, travel, retail, and freestanding. Entertainment involves dining experiences associated with leisure activities such as movies, concerts, or sporting events. Ownership types range from independent establishments to chain restaurants, offering various service models including dine-in, take-away, and home delivery. These venues serve a wide range of sectors including restaurants, educational institutions, hotels, retail outlets, and vending services.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs are impacting the food away from home market by increasing costs of imported food ingredients, kitchen equipment, packaging materials, and beverages used by restaurants and foodservice operators. Hospitality sectors in North America and Europe are most affected due to reliance on imported inputs, while Asia-Pacific faces cost pressure on foodservice supply chains. These tariffs are raising menu prices and operational costs. However, they are also encouraging local sourcing, regional supplier partnerships, and greater adoption of cost-efficient menu planning strategies.
The food away from home market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides food away from home market statistics, including food away from home industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a food away from home market share, detailed food away from home market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the food away from home industry. This food away from home market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The food away from home market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $4833.08 billion in 2025 to $5044.54 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to urbanization and changing lifestyles, growth of restaurant culture, rising disposable incomes, expansion of tourism and travel dining, increasing participation of women in the workforce.
The food away from home market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $5952.18 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing penetration of food delivery apps, expansion of cloud kitchens, rising demand for personalized dining experiences, growth of sustainable and ethical dining, increasing use of digital payments in food services. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of online food ordering platforms, rising demand for convenience dining options, growing expansion of chain restaurants, enhanced focus on experiential dining concepts, expansion of delivery and takeaway models.
The growing expansion of fast-food restaurants is expected to propel the growth of the food-away-from-home market going forward. Fast-food restaurants, also referred to as fast food outlets, are a type of restaurant that serves quickly prepared and pre-cooked meals with limited table service. The rise of fast-food restaurants is driven by demand for convenient and diverse dining options, busy lifestyles, and evolving taste preferences. By offering quick and affordable meal options, fast-food restaurants attract busy individuals and cost-conscious consumers through value meals and promotions. For instance, in 2024, according to Aviko, a Netherlands-based food company, the UK fast-food industry grew from £20.61 billion in 2022 to £22.04 billion in 2023, while the share of UK consumers eating at fast-food restaurants increased to 45% in 2023. Therefore, the growing expansion of fast-food restaurants is driving the growth of the food-away-from-home market.
Leading companies in the food-away-from-home market are prioritizing technological advancements, such as adopting an "AI-first" strategy, to boost operational efficiency and empower their workforce across fast-food chains. This strategy involves integrating artificial intelligence comprehensively into operations to streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve customer interactions. For example, Yum! Brands introduced the SuperApp platform in April 2024, tailored for restaurant managers at Pizza Hut and KFC locations. This AI-powered smartphone app allows staff to seek operational guidance via a generative AI chatbot, eliminating the need for traditional training manuals. Additionally, employees can manage schedules and order supplies through the app, enhancing overall restaurant management.
In May 2024, Restaurant Brands International Inc., based in Canada, acquired Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. for $1.0 billion, expanding its market presence in the fast-food hamburger and chicken sectors in the United States. This acquisition aims to strengthen RBI's brand portfolio and franchise relationships through planned refurbishments and refranchising efforts. Carrols Restaurant Group Inc., known for operating over 1,000 Burger King and Popeyes locations, significantly enhances RBI's position in the competitive food-away-from-home market.
Major companies operating in the food away from home market are Starbucks Corporation, Compass Group PLC, Sodexo, McDonald's, Aramark, Subway IP LLC, Darden Concepts Inc., Chipotle Mexican Grill, Yum Brands, Restaurant Brands International Inc., Zensho Holdings Co. Ltd., Whataburger, Domino's Pizza, Panda Restaurant Group Inc., Brinker International Inc., Greene King, SATS Ltd., Burger King Company LLC, Papa John's International Inc., Shake Shack, Jubilant FoodWorks
North America was the largest region in the food away from home market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the food away from home market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.
The countries covered in the food away from home market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Canada
The food away from home market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as meal preparation, dining experience, menu variety, and buffet service. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Food Away From Home Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses food away from home market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for food away from home ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The food away from home market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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