While many shifts in the restaurant industry are slow to take hold, the use and availability of data is one trend that's quickly emerging, according to the 2018 Restaurant Trends Forecast, produced by Restaurant Business magazine, Chicago, and Technomic, Chicago.

Consumer foodservice is forecasted to reach $3 trillion by 2021, with delivery as the fastest growing channel at 51% from 2016-2021, according to data from Euromonitor International, Chicago.

Customer visits to U.S. restaurants and foodservice outlets remained negative in the quarter ending June, resulting in six consecutive quarters of weak traffic performance, reports The NPD Group, Chicago.

Generation X, ages 36-52, now represents 23% of all restaurant visits, not a significant difference from Boomers and Millennials, who represent 26% and 25% of visits respectively, according to “What Matters Most To Key Generational Groups.”

The restaurant industry and other foodservice operators are on a tear, with sales growth outpacing retail for a decade and revenues surpassing retail for the first time in 2015, according to a new study by L.E.K. Consulting, Boston.

A report released by Technomic, Chicago, indicates that the restaurant industry overall fared relatively well in 2016, but full service has experienced some highs and lows, with annual sales growth dipping to 1.4% and unit growth remaining flat.

A new study released by AlixPartners, a New York-based global business-advisory firm, posits that the turbulence in the chain-restaurant industry of late—from underperforming results to an uptick in bankruptcies to renewed shareholder pressures—might not be just a blip but rather a sign of structural changes besetting the industry.

US Foods, Rosemont, Ill., unveiled Spring Scoop 2017, featuring a lineup of 26 new products designed to help restaurant customers attract more Millennial diners.

HAVI, Downers Grove, Ill., identified five foodservice industry trends for 2017 and beyond that could impact foodservice supply chains.

While Americans wait all year in anticipation for their favorite seasonal-inspired food and drinks, new research from Mintel, Chicago, reveals that nearly seven in 10 (67%) consumers enjoy being able to consume specific seasonal ingredients year-round.