Food service market in Romania grew to 5.66 billion euros last year

The food service market in Romania grew to 5.66 billion euros in 2021, exceeding by 21% the record registered in 2019, before the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, according to the fifth edition of the national food & drinks service national study, made by Hospitality Culture Institute.   According to specialists of Hospitality Culture Institute, Glovo is the leader in the food delivery market, followed by Tazz and Foodpanda. The performance is more notable as, since the beginning of the ongoing year, Glovo purchased the infrastructure and services of Foodpanda, consolidating its leading position.   “In point of payment means, cash wins back the grounds lost during the pandemic, which makes more surprising the aggressive increase of the number of Romanians who no longer leave tips on location or upon delivery. In just a year, the percentage of those who do not leave tips has trebled reaching 32%,” Florin Maxim added.   According to Hospitality Culture Institute data, Romanians started spending more money for food services, the value of expenses growing in all categories analyzed. However, 59% of the market continues to be generated by expenses between 21 and 50 lei. The report includes the detailed analysis of the expense value and the evolution of every industrial sector, as well as annual variations.   As of 2016, the gastronomic area in supermarkets/hypermarkets annually grows by over 30%, a sign that players who counted on the extension and diversification of this service made a winning bet. In exchange, the Romanians' preference about the form of the menu is a first in the same period of time. Thus, for the first time in the last 5 years, Romanians prefer digital menus to the detriment of the physical one, representatives of Hospitality Culture Institute add.   Quantitative data were gathered through CATI methods (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing), in partnership with Exact Business Solutions, a company with over 12 years of experience in marketing research.