Dine-in spending in UAE’s restaurants increased to pre-coronavirus levels, recording the same results in the first quarter of 2021 as the same period last year, amidst a steady rebound of the country’s F&B industry.
The quick bites restaurant category –including fast food, street food, food trucks and bakeries – recorded the most growth in dine-in spending in Q1 2021, reaching nearly a fifth more than in the same period of 2020, according to research by Network International, a digital commerce enabler for the Middle East and Africa.
Spending at cafes also increased by mid-single digits in Q1 2021 versus the same period a year ago, despite venues continuing to operate under the government-imposed restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus.
When it comes to cuisines, the increase in dine-in spending has been most rewarding for café food and drink, followed by European and Middle Eastern cuisine. In fact, Middle Eastern cuisine was the only category to record visible growth in spending in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in last year with single digit gains.
Coronavirus has accelerated the adoption of in-app and contactless payments in restaurants both of which have seen a steady increase in usage at restaurants, especially over the past two quarters.
Network International has continued to empower more businesses to keep up with the ever-changing payments landscape.
“Understanding spending patterns is critical for businesses that want to position themselves to meet evolving customer preferences. Our payments insights are intended to help the restaurants industry and other related vendors chart new opportunities and make smarter decisions,” said Ian Jiggens, president – Advisory and Information Services, Network International.
“As the leading enabler of digital commerce across the MEA, we remain at the forefront of change giving our clients opportunities to seamlessly adopt the latest payment trends in a rapidly evolving environment,” he continued.
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