Decline in declarations of limiting spending on eating out
“It is estimated that the value of the HoReCa market in Poland in 2024 will increase by 8.4 percent compared to the previous year. This year has recently been strongly influenced by rising prices, which prompted Poles to limit their spending. One of the key areas around which they were looking for savings was eating out or ordering meals for delivery. We have currently noted a decrease in declarations of limiting expenses by 11 percentage points compared to 2023,” the analyst assessed Justyna Zagorska with PMR Market Experts.
Hotel segment with the highest growth dynamics
According to the report, restaurants, which constitute the largest part of the HoReCa market, will gradually give way to individual catering and hotel gastronomy in the coming years. The hotel segment is characterized by the highest growth dynamics and is returning to pre-pandemic values.
“The observed transformations can be attributed to changing consumer preferences, the convenience of using catering services and the general development of tourism and the growing number of foreign tourists visiting Poland,” it was explained.
Fast food bars are the leaders in sales value growth
It was noted that ordering food delivery is currently popular. Nearly half of Poles, mainly women, indicate the variety of everyday meals prepared at home as the main reason for using such services. Men, on the other hand, are happy to order food in connection with sporting events.
According to the report, among restaurants, pizzerias, cafés, alcoholic bars and fast food, the latter were the leaders in sales value growth in 2023, a difficult year for the industry.
Generation Z Influenced by the Opinions of Popular Culinary Vloggers and Influencers
PMR Market Experts point to Generation Z as an important consumer group that has an increasing influence on the functioning of catering establishments. They are more likely to choose American cuisine than traditional Polish dishes, and they replace coffee with carbonated drinks. People born after 1995 go to fast food bars and pizzerias more often than to restaurants. When choosing a place to eat, the vast majority of them are guided by ratings, for example on Google. The opinions of popular culinary vloggers and influencers are also important to them.
“Importantly, the ‘zetki’ are very keen to reach for food-to-go products that are competitive on the HoReCa market, i.e. hot and cold snacks, such as hot dogs, sandwiches, ready meals or yeast cakes, as well as drinks prepared on site (coffee, tea, freshly squeezed juices),” it was reported.
The report shows that 40% of Generation Z consider food-to-go products to be full-value meals that can replace those eaten at restaurants.