Food service ($614 billion, +11 percent; with $4.1 billion to print, +5 percent), closely related, is Number 21. The revamping of fast food ($102 billion, +9 percent) outlets is accelerating, with Wi-Fi zones and other amenities. McCafe, a McDonald’s spinoff, will build 850 coffee shops. New signage, interiors and menus, plus couponing and games, could top $1.5 billion in litho, screen and wide-format digital printing. Full-service restaurants ($374 billion, +4 percent) are under consumer spending pressure.
Vincent Mallardi, C.M.C., is a the chairman of the Printing Brokerage/Buyers Association International (PBBA) and is a Certified Management Consultant in the paper, printing and converting industries. He is also an adjunct professor in economics. Contact him via email at vince@pbba.org