Food Service Industry
Foodservice outlets are facilities that serve meals and snacks for immediate consumption onsite (food away from home). Commercial foodservice establishments accounted for the bulk of food-away-from-home expenditures. This category includes full-service restaurants, limited-service outlets, caterers, some cafeterias, and other places that prepare, serve, and sell food to the general public for a profit.
USDA, Economic Research Service examines:
- the size of the growing foodservice market;
- the major market segments, such as limited-service and full-service outlets; and
- the foodservice market at the State level.