When asked how business was in 2021, 78.31% of rd+d readers noted that it was as good (34.94%) or better (43.37%) than they had projected. Just 14.46% said business in 2021 was worse than they had projected it to be and 7.23% said business was just as bad as they projected it would be.
Despite being in the black in 2021, It’s still a challenging time for rd+d readers. Top among their challenges are supply chain concerns and increasing material costs (41.27%). Labor and staffing issue were a close second at 37.30%. Upgrading technology was a top concern for 11.9%. Just 6.35% said state and local regulations was a top challenge. That’s a stark contrast to the same question fielded in December 2020 when 36.13% of readers felt state and local regulations was their top challenge.
rd+d’s ongoing research project periodically surveys qualified subscribers on the state of restaurant development and design. This survey was fielded in December 2021.