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The Growth and Evolution of the QSR Industry

March 8, 2024

Katie McCann

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In this post-pandemic world, many people purchase and consume fast food at higher rates than ever before. As a result, the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is experiencing robust expansion everywhere, from Europe to Australia, North America, and beyond.

This market report will explain how the QSR industry has grown and evolved over the last century, what the market overview looks like today, and where this industry is heading.

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Where is the QSR industry?

Before diving into the What are QSR restaurants doing to drive growth? Many are investing in innovation and creating new trends in marketing, customer experience, and even business operations.

Technology is essential for QSRs who wish to ride the growth wave. Some trends to watch out for include: ‍‍

‍Mobile Ordering Apps

Mobile app ordering and third-party delivery services enable new levels of convenience

Restaurant Automation

A.I. ordering systems may become the norm, with predictive suggestions based on a customer’s past ordering history

Drive-Thru Tech

License plate capture systems can identify customers and match cars to meal preferences, while digital signage can increase the speed of service and customer satisfaction

Business Intelligence

Integrated systems will pair video monitoring with in-depth analytics to aid in loss prevention, uncover bottlenecks, and improve the overall customer experience

This new technology will deliver the convenience and speed of service your customers expect. ‍

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Understanding Quick-Service Restaurants

What are QSR restaurants? Simply put, a quick-service restaurant serves a well-defined menu of food items that require minimal preparation and can be delivered to the customer in minutes.

Many people refer to quick-service restaurants as “fast food,” but categorizing restaurants isn’t an exact science. In some contexts, fast-casual restaurants like Starbucks and Panera Bread are also categorized as fast-food chains. Others believe the food must be quick and low-priced to be considered fast food. Below are the main types of QSRs:

Specialty: Offers a distinct variety of cuisine, such as Mexican (think Taco Bell), fried chicken, burgers, sandwiches, or donuts
Takeout/Delivery: With no tables or chairs for customers to dine in, restaurants offer a pickup counter or home delivery service
Eat-In/Drive-Thru: Many QSRs follow this model, providing tables and chairs to dine inside and at least one drive-thru lane to order and pick up food without going inside ‍

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‍Different Types of QSR

Determining which QSR is the world’s most popular depends on your methodology. While Subway is the world’s largest restaurant chain, McDonald’s Corporation is the key player, with the largest market share of 43.8%.

The quick-service restaurant industry is a competitive landscape that includes many different restaurant concepts and service types The diversity of concepts in the QSR space has played a significant role in the industry’s evolution and growth. ‍

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The Evolution of the QSR Industry

Overall, the outlook for the QSR industry is bright. China and the rest of Asia Pacific are expected to grow extremely fast, but North America will likely maintain its dominance.

Regarding the QSR industry forecast, global quick-service restaurants have a projected CAGR of 9.21% between 2022 and 2027.

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‍Statistics on Quick-Service Restaurants in the U.S.

Business owners need to know that:

Americans are spending 10% of their annual income on fast food
People around the world increased their fast food consumption by 2.2% year over year
Mobile app and online orders are up by 12% on weekdays despite foot traffic being down

Understanding these facts can help you see why the sector is constantly expanding and how you can get in on the QSR industry growth. ‍

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The Future Growth of the QSR Industry

Quick-service restaurants have forever altered how the global population uses their time, money, and calories. The sector has expanded rapidly, and industry analysis indicates that QSR industry growth will only increase as convenience becomes more of a daily priority. Here’s a glimpse into how the QSR sector will meet that expectation with projected growth over the next few years. ‍

What Is the Growth Rate of Quick-Service Restaurants?

According to (CMI), the U.S. quick-service sector will grow at an annual rate of 5.6% between 2023 and 2030, which means adding over 2,000 restaurants each year. ‍

What Is the Market Sizing for QSR?

The United States’ current QSR market size is USD 293.8 billion. Industry researchers believe it may be valued at $454.3 billion by 2030. ‍

How Big Is the QSR Industry in the U.S.?

The U.S. boasts one of the world’s largest QSR markets. The country has 201,865 quick-service restaurants (up nearly 1% in the first quarter of 2023), and 37% of Americans consume fast food daily.‍

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QSR Global Market Growth

As reviewed above, there are a ton of numbers that show how the QSR market continues to boom.

But what does that look like across the globe?

Take a look at how market segmentation affects these numbers and how the QSR industry is doing worldwide.

The major markets for quick-service restaurants are:

North America
Europe
Australia
Asia Pacific
Latin America
The Middle East and Africa

Although fast-service restaurants exist in other markets, these regions have the lion’s share of the global QSR market. ‍

North America

The North American quick-service industry has and will continue to dominate all global regions. The market drivers of this growth include expanding cuisine choices, busy schedules, and an increase in the number of available restaurants. ‍

United States

Consulting firm CMI’s research report estimated that the quick-service market size in the United States will grow at a rate of 5.6% over the next seven years. Urbanized culture and prolonged work schedules leave little time for preparing food at home, contributing to more spending at QSRs. ‍

Canada

Canada's quick-service market is expected to expand from USD 31.8 billion in 2021 to USD 41.9 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 4.7%.

Canada’s QSR market growth is fueled by the rise in female employment, increased demand for flavorful plant-based food, tech-savvy ordering practices, and greater exposure to international cuisine options through home delivery and other services. ‍

Mexico

With QSR being Mexico’s second-largest channel in the country’s food service profit sector, the current QSR market size is estimated at USD 10.9 billion, with a steady 3% CAGR. Online sales and home delivery are driving the growth of Mexico’s QSR industry. ‍

Europe

Europe’s current QSR market size is USD 48.9 billion and is expected to grow to 192.4 billion by 2030, with an estimated CAGR of 3.7%. Both international and domestic chains claim significant market share, but new products are expected to drive growth. ‍

Germany

Researchers estimate that the German QSR market will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, barring any issues with inflation, supply chains, or consumer sentiment. The QSR market size is EUR 15.6 billion, with an expected CAGR of 3.83%.

France

France’s large urban population is pressed for time and needs quick options. For this reason, the country’s overall foodservice market will likely grow by 2%, with quick-service restaurants seeing a notable increase in demand.

Italy

Italy’s current QSR sector is highly fragmented due to the presence of many small players. Although growth will likely be moderate, with a CAGR of 1.24% over the next five years, the industry will continue to expand with more brand franchises, a focus on healthy lifestyles, and sizable investments in digital marketing.

Australia

The current QSR market in Australia is USD 21 billion. While experts expect well-established brands to expand, the market is only slated to grow by 1% per year over the next five years. Shifting consumer sentiment and increased competition from supermarkets is impacting growth in this sector. ‍

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QSR Industry Technology and Solutions with DTiQ

Having been in business for over two decades, DTiQ has seen the evolution of QSRs firsthand and has played a pivotal role in equipping them with state-of-the-art video surveillance and cloud-based business analytics.

Our products and services allow business owners to meet shifting customer demands and create an unmatched restaurant experience. Book a demo today to learn more about how we can help business owners take advantage of the QSR sector’s rapid expansion both now and into the future.

The Growth and Evolution of the QSR Industry

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