Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash
Mark O’Loughlin, Marketing Executive Madrid, Bord Bia – Irish Food Board
Burger and pizza chains represented roughly one third of all foodservice chain establishments to open in Spain in the beginning of 2019. Both had experienced stagnant growth for a period but over the last couple of years companies have begun to rethink their offering in line with new trends and have repositioned themselves once again as primary options among Spanish consumers deciding on where to eat/what to order.
Source: Alimarket
*The data compiled in the Alimarket report from which the above figures were extracted represent those chains which have at least 3 operating establishments as of the beginning of 2019.
At national level there is not much difference between the two with 2048 pizza outlets and 2012 burger outlets currently operating in the Spanish market. This is not the case at regional level. In terms of number of outlets, pizza triumphs in the northern regions from Galicia in the West to Catalonia in the East as well as the more central regions of Castilla y León and Castillla La Mancha. Burger outlets on the other hand are more prominent in the regions of Madrid, Valencia and Andalusia, as well as both the Balearic and Canary Islands.
Stagnating growth meant pizza and burger chains in Spain needed to respond to evolving consumer demands. Premium recipes and offerings have featured more and more on the menus of these chains. Quality ingredients such as waygu beef or buffalo mozzarella on pizza are examples of this move towards premiumisation. Innovation in food mechanics has allowed companies to offer menus with healthier options due to better control of calories and nutrients in food preparation. Wholegrain bread, vegetable based recipes and organic ingredients are examples of these trends which burger and pizza chains are tapping into.
Other contributing factors to this boom include the personalisation of orders now available in a variety of establishments. This is a requisite for many consumers; the ability to choose the toppings, the type of base/bun, the sides etc. Spanish consumers expect a made to order option and if possible, the food will be prepared in the customer’s view. The increasing popularity of home delivery apps/companies such as Glovo, Just Eat and Deliveroo are giving Spanish consumers even more access to pizza and burger chains. This is another contributing factor to their regained momentum which is expected to continue into 2020.
References
Alimarket. (2019). Informe 2019 de Restauración basada en Pizzas y Hamburguesas en España. Alimarket