YUM - America Is Eating Out Like Never Before but Not Everyone's a Winner
Americans love it when someone else does the cooking.
According to data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, spending on eating out increased 6% in 2018 and is up another 4% in 2019 so far, outpacing the 3% average increase in retail spending. In fact, as of this year, spending on eating out is about on par with, and soon to pass, money spent at grocery stores.
Given this situation, now must be a golden era of investing in restaurant stocks, right? Sort of. Growing though it is, the restaurant business is notoriously competitive, and technology is disrupting the status quo for many operations. Where there are winners, there are just as many losers.