Shrinking Lunch Break Puts Brakes on U.S. Foodservice Lunch Market

New York, March 6, 2007 — As the traditional all-American three-martini lunch becomes extinct, and the 25-minute lunch break on-the-run or at a desk becomes the norm, sales of lunch-time fare have been stop rather than go according to Revolution in Dayparts: Lunch in the Foodservice Market, a new report from market research firm Packaged Facts.

Packaged Facts projects that the dollar volume of the U.S. foodservice lunch market will reach $182 billion, yet overall industry growth at lunchtime has been sluggish at less than $1 billion since 2000. More than a third of all foodservice sales takes place at lunch time, yet with the exception of public-school institutional lunches, market growth has been non-existent. While the market is shifting to faster and healthier options, sales are only expected to creep up to slightly more than $187 billion by 2012.

Sandwiches still dominate lunchtime fare with burgers still a leader in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) market. Yet burger joints are feeling the heat from non-burger sandwich chains, which have been rapidly expanding into the market since the turn of the century. Similarly, sales of grab-and-go foods from convenience, grocery stores, and supercenters have increased as the trend to package “combination lunches” catches on.

“While the market is continually evolving and innovating not only with the foods being prepared but the packaging as well, none of these innovations has necessarily converted new lunchtime customers,” said Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “We don’t see this changing any time soon, which means growth will lay solely on increased institutional foodservice demands, particularly in schools.”

Lunch in the Foodservice Market provides a comprehensive look at the overall market for lunchtime fare, examining trends in the retail and institutional milieu. It profiles both commercial and non-commercial marketers, includes sales and sector growth projections through 2012, and looks at consumer trends and behaviors surrounding the consumption of lunch foods and beverages. The report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts by visiting: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Revolution-Dayparts-Lunch-1351325. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, food and beverage, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Tom Ehart at 240-747-3014, or tehart@marketresearch.com.