Research

Sales among the top 100 foodservice equipment and supplies dealers totaled $11.06 billion in 2019, up 7.9 percent from 2018’s total of $10.25 billion, according to FE&S’ 2020 Distribution Giants study. This year, sales increased for 70 percent of the dealers within the top 100, while 26 percent reported a decline in sales. Four percent of dealers reported no change in sales.

Despite a host of challenges, restaurant industry sales will reach a record high of $863 billion in 2019, per the National Restaurant Association. This marks an increase of 3.6 percent compared with 2018, when the industry posted sales of $833.1 billion. It also marks the tenth consecutive year of industry growth.

Sales among the top 100 foodservice equipment and supplies dealers totaled $11.06 billion in 2019, up 7.9 percent from 2018’s total of $10.25 billion, according to FE&S’ 2020 Distribution Giants study. This year, sales increased for 70 percent of the dealers within the top 100, while 26 percent reported a decline in sales. Four percent of dealers reported no change in sales.

Sales among the top 100 foodservice equipment and supplies dealers totaled $10.296 billion in 2018, up 7.82 percent from $9.549 billion in 2017, according to FE&S’ 2019 Distribution Giants study. Sixty-nine percent of the top 100 dealers reported increased sales, up 4 percent from last year. And 22 percent reported a decline in sales, which is 5 percent less compared to last year.

Despite a host of challenges, restaurant industry sales will reach a record high of $863 billion in 2019, per the National Restaurant Association. This marks an increase of 3.6 percent compared with 2018, when the industry posted sales of $833.1 billion. It also marks the tenth consecutive year of industry growth.

The more things change, the more they stay the same in the restaurant industry. Despite significant evolution in the form of consumer dining preferences — including when, where and what they eat — and a growing reliance on technology among operators, overall industry sales continue to inch along during an extended period of moderate growth. That’s been the story the past few years and it seems the industry will maintain that status quo this year and next.

FE&S’ subscribing operators share how they purchase foodservice equipment and supplies, their expectations and more.

FE&S’ subscribing foodservice operators explore how their most pressing business challenges impact the way they purchase foodservice equipment and supplies, their product expectations and more.