Gordon's - Buffalo, New York, United States

The US restaurant industry includes about 480,000 restaurants with combined annual revenue of about $400 billion. Major companies include McDonald's; YUM! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell); and Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster). The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest companies hold just 20 percent of the market.

The industry consists of fullservice restaurants (FSR) and limited service eating places, which include quick-service restaurants (QSR); cafeterias; buffets; snack bars; and nonalcoholic beverage bars.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demographics, consumer tastes, and personal income drive demand. The profitability of individual companies can vary: while QSRs rely on efficient operations and high volume sales, FSRs rely on high-margin items and effective marketing. Large companies have advantages in purchasing, finance, and marketing. Small companies can offer superior food or service. The industry is labor-intensive: annual revenue per worker is less than $50,000.

Restaurants compete with companies that serve meals or prepared foods, including grocery stores, warehouse clubs, delis, and convenience stores. In addition, restaurants compete with home cooking.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Products include appetizers, entrées/main dishes, desserts, and beverages. Companies may specialize in a certain type of cuisine (such as Italian, Chinese, or barbecue); entrée (sandwiches, steak, seafood); or other food item (pretzels, smoothies). Among FSRs, most establishments focus on Italian cuisine, steak, or seafood. Hamburger joints make up a majority of QSR locations, along with pizza parlors and sub sandwich shops. Industry revenue is roughly evenly split ...

• State job growth rose 1.5% in February 2012 from a year ago; national job growth rose 1.6%
• State unemployment averaged 9.2% in February 2012; the national average was 8.3%
• Personal income rose 4.6% to $993.9 billion in Q4 2011 from a year ago.
• Tax revenue increased 3.1% in Q4 2011 from a year ago.
• Exports rose 1.6% to $14.6 billion in the first two months of 2012 from a year ago.
• Venture capital investment in NY rose 5% to $453.7 million in Q4 2011 from a year ago.