he pandemic completely changed the way people interact with restaurants, and that is supported through a recent report from PYMNTS.

The company surveyed 2,096 consumers in the United States and compiled a report, which sought to understand how people order food from a restaurant and the way that food is consumed. The survey also looked at loyalty programs and the relationship between ordering methods. The reported concluded that “consumer demand for digital food ordering experiences is increasing.”

In 2020, a total of $769 billion was spent on food ordering and 63 percent of that food was consumed at home. Of that amount, 89 cents of every dollar was spent online. That meant that the majority of people who spent money on food bought food online and ate at home, a huge sift from pre-pandemic. The survey argues that restaurants must adopt more digital technology and follow the changes in consumer behavior.

“Restaurants must adapt their operations to meet consumers’ demands for digital-first ordering experiences,” according to the report and added: “More consumers than ever say they would be encouraged to spend more if their favorite restaurants offered time-saving services, such as ordering and menu updates via mobile app or pickup orders via drive-thru.“

The report also found that consumers were likely to spend more money ordering online than in-person. Forty-five percent of those surveyed said that online ordering options would encourage them to spend more on food orders. As well consumers were more than twice as likely to spend more money at those restaurants that had rewards programs.

“Offering digital ways to order and pay has become more important than ever in the restaurant industry,” the report concluded.