Summary

Since 2020, the global fast food market has been following a pattern of growth, with a recorded compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% from 2022 to 2023, with the market value rising from $610.66 billion to $652.73 billion. This growth has been influenced by factors like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which led to commodity price inflation and supply chain disruptions. Despite these challenges, the market is projected to expand to a value of $772.9 billion by 2027, albeit at a reduced CAGR of around 4.3%. North America held the largest market share in 2022, while significant future growth is expected in the Asia-Pacific region. The industry is also witnessing a trend of online food delivery and drone service innovation, and trends like healthier lifestyles, gourmet products, and plant-based food offerings align with the evolving consumer preferences. 

Evolving Appetites: Italian Fast Food Market Trends and Consumer Preferences

In recent years, the fast-food industry in Italy has reflected significant shifts mirroring the evolution of consumer tastes and lifestyles. Key figures suggest that the market is undergoing a dynamic transition, with an ever-increasing demand shaped by both traditional preferences and modern influences. One of the most noteworthy trends is the Italian consumers' growing inclination toward alternative dining options such as fast food, street food, and home delivery services, which cumulatively represent a market value of nearly €2 billion. Despite the rich traditional restaurant scene holding a commanding presence, fast food is making its mark with a 28 percent share of the restaurant industry, translating to approximately €17 billion.The Italian fast food market is characterized by an increased demand from consumers leading hectic lifestyles, reflected in the 23 percent rise in household expenditure on fast food and takeaways in 2021.

This uptick is attributed mainly to demands that emerged during the pandemic lockdown. Moreover, eating out has seen a considerable growth over the past 30 years, from a value of under €50 billion in the early 1990s to over €90 billion in 2022, further signifying the shift in consumption patterns. Consumer demand in Italy is also influenced by globalization and a mixture of identity and culture. Italians are embracing fast food as a functional solution to adapt to their changing lifestyles and as a form of conviviality or even dietary escapism. Fast food represents a space where Italians occasionally break free from their typical dietary regimen. The geographical distribution of demand across the country varies, with higher spending on fast food services in the northern regions, around €30 per month, and lower in the southern regions, approximately half of that figure. The distribution of demand for food delivery services primarily originates from urban and city dwellers, with a significant proportion of consumers aged between 18 and 55.

Key Players Shaping the Italian Fast Food Landscape

The Italian fast food market presents a dynamic array of both international giants and local favorites, each contributing uniquely to the vibrant fast food scene. These businesses have established their presence through strategic positioning, understanding of local tastes, and versatile business models.

  • McDonald's: As an emblematic figure in the fast food industry, McDonald's has a robust network of outlets in Italy. This American fast food pioneer has adapted to the Italian market by offering menu items incorporating local Italian flavors. Renowned for its Big Mac, McDonald's has managed to capture the Italian consumer base with a blend of traditional fast food fare and regional specialties, thus maintaining its status as a leading player.
  • Old Wild West: This chain brings the essence of the American frontier to Italian soil with its Western-themed restaurants. As a place where families can come together for a hearty meal, Old Wild West's expansive reach of over 200 locations reflects its popularity and the Italian consumers' affinity for themed dining experiences.
  • Chef Express: Falling under a slightly different segment, Chef Express focuses on providing quick and convenient dining options for people on the move. Their presence in transit hubs and key travel locations has enabled them to cater to the needs of commuters and travelers looking for a swift bite.
  • La Piadineria: A tribute to traditional Italian street food, La Piadineria has carved out a niche for itself with its offering of freshly made piadinas. This local favorite combines convenience with authenticity, which resonates well with customers seeking quick servings of customary Italian flavors.
  • Burger King: As another major American franchise in Italy, Burger King competes head-on with McDonald's. With their famous Whopper, they continue to engage the Italian market through their aggressive expansion strategy, appealing to the tastes of fast food aficionados.
  • KFC: Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC, primarily known for its fried chicken, operates a smaller number of premises in Italy but has been growing steadily. Its signature approach to quick-service fried chicken has cultivated a loyal customer base that seeks out the comfort and familiarity of KFC's offerings.
  • Starbucks: While not traditionally considered fast food, Starbucks brings the global coffee store experience to Italy. Despite facing challenges entering a market with a strong coffee culture, Starbucks aims to offer a different kind of ambiance and a place for social interaction while serving their internationally recognized coffee-based drinks.
  • Spizzico: Spizzico is an Italian fast-food chain specializing in pizza and other Italian dishes. Founded in the early 1990s, it quickly expanded across the country, becoming one of the most recognized pizza chains in Italy.
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  • Last update : 12/10/2023
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Summary and extracts

1 Market Summary

1.1 Definition and presentation of the fast food market

Fast food, better known as "fast food," consists of a restaurant business based on the sale of ready-to-eat food that can be consumed quickly. In fast food, people seek a quick, inexpensive, and palatable meal option. For these reasons, the restaurant business revolves around a target audience that tends to be young people. Fast food restaurants tend to be organized as franchises, where multiple stores of the same chain open in multiple locations in the same city or nation.

Although the spirit and conceptual framework of this market has existed for many years, the mass-market approach to the fast food industry is believed to have originated in the United States during the first half of the 20th century-the first fast food hamburger chain called White Castle opened in 1921, becoming the world's first example of a user of the assembly line concept in a business. In keeping with the Taylorist philosophy of the time, it had standardized the production of its sandwiches to make its service more efficient. Consumers, immersed in chaotic and hectic lifestyles, found themselves demanding food that could keep up with their need for speed. Since this time, the popularity of fast food has proliferated in every part of the world, producing a variety of products inspired by different types of cuisine.

The Italian food industry has undergone many transformations, particularly due to the evolution of consumer preferences, habits and purchasing decisions, which have drastically affected the value and incidence of various segments of the food industry. Therefore, some segments, such as fast food, street food or home food delivery are gaining relevance, appealing to the busier lifestyles of Italians.

Although traditional restaurants still account for the largest share of the restaurant industry, with a value of about 43.5 billion euros, the food scene has changed considerably. In fact, transformations in the Italian food scene have led to an increasing relevance of alternative channels, such as delivery or take-away, which are worth about 1.8 billion euros. Due to the incidence of the Italian culinary tradition, fast foods represent a much more limited portion of the market.

However, to ensure themselves as significant players in the restaurant market, fast food companies try to closely follow the hottest trends in order to build an offering in line with customers' tastes and habits . In recent years, attempts have been made to produce products that are closer to the quest for a healthy lifestyle, more sustainable and, due to increasing internationalization, often oriented toward ethnic foods (up 40 percent).

 

1.2 Fast food: a large portion of the food industry

Fast foods are designed to provide a faster and more cost-effective option for the customer by indulging in faster prepared foods. Convenience and taste are the main strengths of the industry, which in recent years has sought to improve its nutritional content and healthiness of fast food by adding ingredients that ...

1.3 The local market

The fast food industry in Italy has evolved considerably in recent decades, going to reflect changes in food preferences, lifestyle, and cultural trends in the country. Although there has been a decline in the number of fast food outlets of about *.* percent in the period between **** and **** (***), popular dishes such as ...

1.4 Distribution in the restaurant industry

According to data proposed by Deloitte, the value of the Italian restaurant market in **** was about €** billion. Although the largest market share is still in the hands of traditional restaurants, with a value of about €** billion, the sector has changed significantly. Fast food ranks second, with a ** percent share, which corresponds ...

1.5 Impact of the derivative

Following the outbreak of the Covid-** emergency, the first restrictions and travel bans were imposed in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus; for these reasons, during the lockdown instituted starting in March ****, all restaurants, bars, and fastfood giants were forced to close. This attested to a rise in ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Demand characteristics

Going to analyze the average monthly expenditure of households in the fast food and takeaway sector, we see an increase in product search between **** and ****, only to experience a significant decline in ****, rising again by **.* percent in ****, a figure surely influenced by the increase in demand during the lockdown period.

Average ...

2.2 Factors influencing demand

Culinary tradition has always represented an identity and cultural pillar of the Italian Peninsula. More than **% of Italians are familiar with traditional recipes and dishes handed down from generation to generation, in a context in which the variegation of typical dishes changes considerably depending on the region under consideration, offering, thus, ...

2.3 Geographical distribution of demand

To analyze the geographic distribution of demand, a map was created that presents monthly household spending on fast food and take-away services by Italian macro-region in ****. From this, it can be seen that in Northern Italy , monthly spending on this sector is higher, standing at around €**.**/month, followed by Central Italy€**.*/month ...

2.4 Food delivery: between choice and necessity

Smart working and new food trends

A new corporate food delivery format has emerged in recent years. The service allows companies to create their own account and be able to manage lunch orders at the office or from home. With *,*** registered users mainly between Milan and Rome, the service saw a ...

3 Market structure

3.1 Market organization and dynamics

The fast food market in Italy has some key characteristics that make it a decisive player in the restaurant market:

speed: customers are looking for ready-to-eat food quickly; accessibility: fast food meals tend to be inexpensive, making them accessible to a wide range of customers; standardized menu: fast food restaurants often ...

3.2 Value Chain

3.3 Different business models and distribution channels

In Italy, the fast food market is based on two main business models: Indirect Channel, Franchising: franchising is the most popular model for fast food chains in Italy. This approach allows owners to run operations independently while taking advantage of the brand's established reputation. Franchising allows for rapid expansion of the ...

3.4 Main actors

As has been previously stated, the fast food sector is growing steadily in the Italian context. The culinary preferences of Italians, traditionally linked to home cooking and regional delicacies, are gradually embracing the appeal of fast food, with a growing demand for fast and affordable products. Against this backdrop, many of ...

4 Supply analysis

4.1 Subsegments of Fast Food

The fast food market can be broken down into several subcategories, as one can analyze the variable of type of food sold (***) which can essentially trace back to the country of oridine.

Based on their geographical origin, fast foods are segmented into:

Asian-inspired fast food is the fastest growing category within ...

4.2 Offerings aimed at a specific consumer

Fast food companies operating in Italy are expanding and customizing their offerings to meet customers' needs. For most fast food restaurants, the offerings are focused on:

Families: as some fast food chains were originally aimed at families with children and young adults. Therefore, they developed some specific products aimed at these ...

4.3 Prices and convenience

Below is the percentage change in price change in **** compared to ****. Specifically, it can be seen that the sectors of traditional ristration and pizzerias register increases of *.* percent and *.* percent on average for the year. Food delivery registers increases of *.* percent, and the sector examined in this survey, fast food, registers ...

4.4 Product offerings to meet new supply trends

Fast food companies closely follow trends to ensure that their offerings are in line with customers' current tastes and habits. In recent years, the offerings have expanded to match the following trends:

healthier lifestyle: as consumer attention increasingly shifts to healthy lifestyle choices, fast food chains are also deciding to adapt ...

5 Rules and regulations

5.1 The regulation of the fast food market in Italy

Fast food outlets are part of the broader food service segment and as such are subject to specific regulations regarding the opening of such businesses and their operation. Analyzing the area of food safety, it is necessary to mention theeuropean Regulation **/**/****, No. ***,which establishes rules and procedures to ensure the safety ...

6 Positioning of actors

6.1 Market segmentation

List of charts

  • Taille du marché de la restauration rapide
  • Les Fast Foods les plus visités
  • Les fast-foods les plus visités
  • Répartition du secteur de la restauration
  • Évolution des dépenses hors domicile
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Latest news

Autogrill-Dufry: the Benettons at the helm of a duty-free and restaurant giant - 11/07/2022
  • 13.7 billion in sales 60,000 employees 5,500 sales outlets in 75 countries
  • The Benetton family will become the largest shareholder in the new group, with a stake of between 20% and 25%
  • The family had already sold its duty-free retailer, World Duty Free , to Dufry for 1.3 billion euros

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

McDonald's Italia
Burger King
Chef Express
Flower Burger
Pokeria by Nima
KFC
Spizzico
La Piadineria
Autogrill

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