CHICAGO, August 13, 2026 —The food-away-from-home industry will continue down a bumpy path in 2027, driven by economic uncertainties and record-low consumer sentiment. But there are some segments of significant opportunity ahead.
That’s according to the 2027 forecast released this week by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association and its updated IFMA Scope data platform.
For 2027, total operator spending across all food-away-from-home segments is expected to grow at an actual rate of 0.9%, or a 4.2% increase factoring in inflation. That is largely flat compared to 2026, with projections of 0.8% real growth and 4.6% nominal growth.
“Is it a robust industry right now?” asked Charlie McConnell, vice president of Industry Insights, Research & Education for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, in announcing the forecast during an Association webinar this week. “Absolutely not. We are in very much of a passive growth mode. Most of our growth is coming from price. There’s a little bit of real growth.”
Retail foodservice, however, which includes the supermarket perimeter and convenience stores, is projected to perform well in 2027, a rare bright spot during a sluggish period.
“That’s where we are the most bullish, is with those retail foodservice segments,” McConnell noted. “Which is the grocery perimeter and convenience stores, both sizeable and what I would still call emerging segments within the food-away-from-home marketplace.”
He cautioned, though, that convenience-store foodservice could face challenges as more drivers switch to electric or hybrid vehicles. If those c-stores don’t offer plug-in recharging options for those consumers, they may be less likely to stop in for prepared foods or snacks.
IFMA Scope projections are updated each February, and McConnell revealed some revisions to those 2026 numbers. Namely, QSR has been revised from 1.2% growth to 0.7% growth and fast casual is trending down from 2% growth to 1.2% growth. In the on-premise segments, K-12 was revised downward from 0.8% growth to 0.6%, lodging is trending down from 1.7% growth to 1.5% and B&I has been downgraded from 0.8% growth to 0.6%.
Only supermarket foodservice growth has been revised in a positive direction for 2026, from 1.5% up to 1.7%.
“It definitely feels like pessimism is outweighing optimism,” McConnell said. “I wish I could say it was the other way around. But, for the most part, we’re not feeling super great about the balance of ’26 or any significant improvements for ’27.”
All IFMA The Food Away from Home Association members have access to IFMA Scope data. Find the 2027 industry forecast here.