Consumers are visiting on-premise establishments more often, with three-quarters of respondents visiting three or more times over the past three months, according to a July 29-August 2 survey by the market research firm CGA.
Of the 1,600 consumers surveyed within Florida, Texas, California, and New York, 36% visited on-premise retailers for drink-led occasions over the last two weeks, while 71% visited for food-led occasions. Slightly more respondents plan to visit over the next two weeks, with two in five planning to visit on-premise establishments for drink-led occasions and seven-in-ten respondents plan to visit for food-led occasions.
Outdoor seating continues to be popular, despite many establishments reopening indoor spaces. Almost four-in-five consumers choose outdoor seating when visiting on-premise locations, with 58% of respondents saying they would likely continue to sit outside the same amount in the fall and winter months. A quarter of respondents said they would continue sitting outside, but less often than they currently do.
Almost a quarter of respondents said their drink preferences change when sitting outdoors. Younger on-premise visitors are the most common demographic to change their drink order, while only 6% of those aged 55+ said they change their drink choice.
Hard seltzers beat out ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails on-premise, with 15% of respondents drinking hard seltzers on-premise and 11% drinking other RTD variants.
One in five of those surveyed reported spending more time at on-premise venues now than pre-pandemic. A third of consumers polled said they are visiting fewer bars and restaurants now than before.
Fully vaccinated consumers have the highest frequency of on-premise visits compared to those with one COVID-19 vaccine dose or none. Despite vaccination status, there is hesitancy to attend highly populated events, with a third of consumers reporting they’d be comfortable attending a large-scale festival.