But theirs is not the only generation that likes to have a meal out. The question is how long all this can last. As part of January's annual rite of forecasting and fortune telling, Restaurants and Institutions asked foodservice industry analysts to put their spin on the current economic environment, providing a guide for 2001 and beyond. We've got a lot of people and people have to eat. Thus Allan Hickok, senior research analyst and managing director of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray of Minneapolis, capsulizes several analysts' predictions for foodservice in the coming year.
Some analysts say the economy is beginning to list slightly.
But, in his opinion, a more modest growth rate is not necessarily bad. A little slump does not necessarily put an end to foodservice's long-running party, analysts say. Even if demand were to subside, I think it will probably continue to grow faster than supply. I think the overall sales figures will look quite good. Others are less optimistic.