The negative impact of COVID-19 on full-service restaurants was quite severe in 2020, due to closures, restrictions and consumer fear of the virus. Some current value growth was seen in 2021, but certain restrictions remained, and new restrictions were imposed on unvaccinated citizens.
Faced with major challenges attracting consumers into their establishments, many of Bulgaria’s full-service restaurants turned to takeaway and delivery services as an alternative source of revenues during the pandemic. Independent restaurants, which comprise the bulk of players in the channel, generally turned to social media and third-party foodservice ordering apps, notably foodpanda.
Chained pizza full-service restaurants saw the fastest current value growth within full-service restaurants in 2021, thanks to the ever-growing popularity of pizza across all ages and consumer groups. Pizza has been one of the most popular types of food in Bulgaria for generations and, moreover, is very much in tune with the traditional cuisine of Bulgaria.
As the impact of COVID-19 lessens, restrictions are eased and tourists return, full-service restaurants is expected to see a sales rebound. As demand returns to normal, and with impressive growth rates for leading categories such as European full-service restaurants, full-service restaurants is set to witness continued stable current value growth in the post-pandemic period, which will help the channel to outperform the negative growth seen in the review period, which was due to COVID-19 lockdowns and operational restrictions.
As in 2021, chained pizza full-service restaurants is set to see the fastest current value growth within full-service restaurants over the forecast period. Great menu choices and fresh ingredients on pizzas will continue to make chained pizza full-service restaurants the most tasty and convenient foodservice category for modern-day consumers, deprived of sufficient time to spend on meal preparation.
The vast majority of full-service restaurants in Bulgaria are independent operations, and this is unlikely to change before the end of the forecast period, with chained players gaining only marginal share. Indeed, at the end of the review period, there were only a handful of chained players present in the channel, and although these chains do have some advantages over their independent rivals, the unfavourable trading environment means that it is unlikely that chained players will be able to justify expanding their outlet networks.
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Full-Service Restaurants
FSR (full-service restaurants) encompasses all sit-down establishments where the focus is on food rather than on drink. FSR is characterized by table service and a relatively higher quality of food compared to quick-service units. Menus offer multiple selections and may include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Preparation of food products is often complex and involves multiple steps. NOTE: restaurants types catalogued in this segment refer to table-service only (outlets with a proper “full table service:” wait staff attending customers and taking orders at the tables). Outlets with “limited table service” are excluded from FSR. For example: outlets where customers order their food at the counter are excluded (even though the waiter will then bring the food at the table).
See All of Our DefinitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Full-Service Restaurants research and analysis database.
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