Top 4 Food Takeaway Sector Trends of 2021

Takeaway restaurants are seeing demand like never before. To help cope with this demand, many takeaway businesses are looking to implement new solutions and ways of working to make things run smoother. So, here are four of the biggest trends changing the way the takeaway sector works.

Just because this industry is one of the most profitable in the UK, doesn’t mean it’s lacking in innovation. If you’re looking to make a career change with a takeaway franchise, or are looking at how you could start your own takeaway business, we’ve compiled some of the biggest trends that are changing the way this sector works.

What does a takeaway franchise do?

Takeaway franchisees are at the heart of the takeaway boom that has gripped the UK. Serving a wide range of tastes and dietary needs, takeaway franchises have been seeing record levels of demand over the last few months. Pandemic or not, takeaway franchisees have been working around the clock to bring delicious food to customers.

On a daily basis, you could find yourself doing any of the following:

• Building relationships with suppliers and stakeholders
• Preparing and selling foods
• Maintaining high standards of presentation and food safety
• Working with industry-leading equipment
• Marketing your franchise
• Kitchen management
• Recruiting, coordinating and managing your staff

In such a diverse industry, there is plenty of scope for specialism, development and profitability. You will be your own boss, will work to your own schedules, and will have all the benefits of running your own business. As franchising is one of the safer ways to run a business, you can look forward to enjoying all the benefits of starting a business, while minimising the common costs.

The shape of the takeaway sector post-COVID

Unlike many other kinds of businesses, the takeaway sector has never been in better health. With many of us forced to stay home, businesses have had to rely on delivery services to stay afloat. In the third quarter of 2020 alone, nearly 50 million takeaways were ordered on delivery platforms [ITV]. 

And it isn’t just the last few months that has seen the takeaway industry post remarkable growth figures - it has been growing at a dramatic rate for several years on the bounce. So, unlike most other sectors, the takeaway industry has been doing extremely well of late. It’s not hard to see why so many people want to run a business in this industry. 

Top 4 takeaway trends of 2021

1. Delivery platforms

Food delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat have been increasingly popular for a long time. While takeaways have been growing in popularity, a bigger share of the orders are being fulfilled on the above platforms. Deliveroo, for example, recorded a 110% increase in orders across the UK against the first half of 2020 [Guardian].

These platforms have been vital in allowing many businesses to stay open and continue to reach new customers. Many takeaways offer preferential deals or offers when customers choose to order through one of these delivery platforms, so there are very good financial reasons for a takeaway franchise to use a delivery platform.

It’s also now entirely possible for some franchisees to run their business from ghost kitchens. Ghost kitchens are an increasingly important part of the restaurant and takeaway sector, so this trend is set to grow substantially over the coming years.

Ghost kitchens, also known as dark kitchens, are commercial kitchens optimized for food delivery. Each kitchen is located in areas with a high concentration of delivery demand. The kitchens themselves don’t have a storefront, and the staff prepare dishes off of their menus that are only available for delivery.
- Cloud Kitchens

2. Subscription services

If you have a good eye for your frequent customers, you’ll likely begin to build up a picture of how often some of your regulars order from you. If you notice that certain customers order at a common date or time, they could be the ideal customers for a subscription service. 

While that could mean regular deliveries of some of your franchise’s most popular food, it could also mean ready-to-cook packages of certain recipes. With the right customer rewards, running an effective subscription service can be a real boon for your business. This is another trend that has really come into its own throughout the pandemic.

3. Diversity

More customers are looking for diverse food options than ever. So, whether your customers are looking for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or religiously friendly food, more and more franchises are catering to different dietary needs. 

Running a franchise business gives you plenty of scope to specialise your business to a unique market or niche. With so many different dietary needs, you’re sure to find a franchise with the right expertise and specialism to cater to whatever food specialism you want to offer.

4. Personalisation

Businesses are more than just a marketing campaign. Your business contains staff members from different backgrounds with different skills, each of which contribute something different. Highlight this at every opportunity and show your local community that your business has a lot more going for it than just a shopfront.

Start a takeaway business and enjoy this rapidly growing sector

Takeaways are some of the UK’s most beloved food establishments. If you think you’d be a great takeaway franchisee, you can learn more about how to make a career change with a food takeaway franchise. Or, if you’d rather work in a more traditional restaurant and are interested in learning how you can become a restaurant manager, there are plenty more resources on Point Franchise.

If none of these are right for you though, you can have a look at the full list of franchising opportunities on the UK franchise directory.