Limited-service restaurants on and off premises sales share in the U.S. 2018

In the United States, 70 percent of food ordered at limited-service restaurants was eaten off the premises in 2018. Carryout orders accounted for 34 percent, while only four percent of orders were delivered to the customer.

Pizza’s slice of the limited-service restaurant industry

Pizza establishments accounted for around 14 percent of all limited-service restaurants in the United States in 2018. The American Customer Satisfaction Index, which annually measures consumer experiences across the limited-service restaurant industry, found Papa John’s to be the favorite pizza brand of customers – either outright or jointly – for eight successive years from 2012 to 2019. Consumer spending at quick-service pizza restaurants increased to nearly 38 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, with orders of carryout pizza generating approximately 50 percent of that total.

What is a limited-service restaurant?

There are two primary types of limited-service restaurants: fast food (also known as quick service) and fast casual. In general, the food available in fast-casual restaurants is regarded to be healthier and of a higher quality. The design of the restaurant interior is also superior, with lighting and music helping to create an ambiance that is more associated with full-service restaurants. In 2018, more than 80 percent of food ordered at full-service restaurants in the United States was eaten on the premises.