Full-Service Restaurants in Finland

PROSPECTS

Consumers tend to go out more to eat than simply to have a drink

Full-service restaurants was the largest format in terms of value sales and numbers of outlets in consumer foodservice in 2019 and is likely to remain so over the forecast period. Limited-service restaurants and cafés/bars were ahead in transactions, whilst limited-service restaurants achieved marginally stronger value growth than its full-service counterparts.

Independents continue to dominate full-service restaurants

Independent operators continue to dominate and thrive in full-service restaurants, unlike in other consumer foodservice channels where chained tend to be the most popular outlets. S Group is one of the few chained operators to offer nationwide outlets, whereas most others focus on Helsinki and its surroundings, such as NoHo Partners, which runs a number of independently branded but centrally-managed outlets.

Unfulfilled potential for full-service restaurants

Research conducted for consumer foodservice wholesaler, Kespro, part of the retailing giant Kesko, looked at reasons why Finnish consumers do not eat out more often. A lack of money was cited as the main reason by 53% of respondents, followed by a lack of interesting places in the neighbourhood (31%) and no time (19%).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Low presence of chained outlets

Only four chains of full-service restaurants operated a double-digit number of outlets in 2019. To put this in context, the leading chain in outlet terms, S Group, would not figure in the top five players in limited-service restaurants in outlet terms.

S Group introduces a new take on delivery

S Group runs a number of chained full-service restaurant concepts, including Rosso (European/Italian), Amarillo (North American with a touch of Mexican) and Chico’s (another North American/Mexican borderline concept, only in the Capital region). Amarillo continued to witness a major brand renewal in 2019, with not all outlets converted by the end of the review period.

Limited presence of foreign brands

There is a limited presence of foreign brands in full-service restaurants. In fact the only foreign brand with a double-digit number of outlets is O’Learys, a North American full-service restaurant and borderline sports bar.

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