• Nation's Restaurant News, Wednesday, July 28, 2010 10:55 AM

The NPD Group says that that nearly two-thirds of prepared foods sold at retail come from traditional supermarkets rather than quick-serve restaurants, but Mark Brandau focuses on the qualities that drive customers to the take-out window: convenient locations, "simply liking it there, good prices or a special craving."

Restaurants benefited in the '80s and '90s when more women entered the workforce, according to Ann Hanson, NPD's executive director of product. "However, the number of women entering the labor force is no longer growing, and supper meals eaten at home have been increasing," she says. "As a result, visits to restaurants for supper have not grown in this decade."

At the same time, Hanson says, there is a "huge opportunity" for both restaurants and supermarkets that meet consumers' growing demands for convenience.

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