Post-COVID, consumers plans to return to on-premise neighborhood restaurants

Rum surges in popularity with piña colada, mojito top cocktails

Summer’s here and with more consumers being vaccinated, the long-awaited return to bars, restaurants, wineries, taprooms and tours is anticipated. In fact, CGA’s Channel Strategy Study, which delves into 11 different on-premise channels, notes that the “size of the prize opportunities,” post-COVID-19, are huge. The No. 1 on-premise channel is local neighborhood restaurants, with 59% of consumers stating they will return, followed by casual dining chains, with 52% of respondents indicating it as such.

CGA’s study also found that neighborhood bars, the No. 1 drinking channel and No. 3 on the on-premise list, also are showing a positive outlook for summer 2021 and beyond. But, what will bar-goers be drinking when they figuratively “belly up to the bar?”

When it comes to the top drinking trend for summer 2021, Bacardi released a survey of U.S. industry leaders, bartenders and consumers finds, which indicates that rum will have a huge surge in popularity, with the piña colada and mojito being the Top 2 summer cocktails (31% and 30% respectively). The Margarita rounds out the Top 3 with 20% of respondents favoring the classic serve.

Other key findings include:

Brunch will become the top dining occasion this summer with 23% of Americans reporting they’ll be enjoying cocktails in the afternoon.
Nearly half (46%) of respondents noted that they have shopped for food and drink online at least once a month, showcasing that eCommerce consumer behaviors have permanently changed.
People will go out on the town — 64% of Americans note that they plan to go to a bar/restaurant this summer.
Consumers also will be imbibing outside with 81% of people planning to spend more time socializing and enjoying drinks outdoors than ever before. In fact, there was a 125% increase in U.S. searches online for “outdoor bars near me.”
They’ll also be enjoying cocktails at home, with 45% of people noting that they order spirits bottles online, showcasing that eCommerce patterns engendered during the pandemic are here to stay.
Americans also will enjoy lighter drinks — 19% of Americans have bought no ABV spirits/beer/wine online this year.

For an in-depth look at on-premise rebuilding and recovery tactics and trends, read our June cover story.

Barbara Harfmann, managing editor of Beverage Industry, visits beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, and writes and edits for the magazine’s print and online components. She also represents the magazine at trade shows and events. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and Public Relations from Illinois State University.