Bite Squad, now a subsidiary of Waitr, released data around what people order during the summer months. In a list predicting this summer’s fastest-growing delivery items, the company pointed to high-growth items seen last summer between June 1 and August 31.
This summer, expect more Philly cheesesteaks, a menu item that saw 68 percent growth last year and came in at No. 5 on its list of fastest growing meals. Ahead of that was Japanese hibachi with 80 percent growth and the delivery juggernaut poke showed slightly more growth at 83 percent last year. Turkey sandwiches, one of the better-traveling food around, grew its popularity by 113 percent last year.
At the very top of the list was arroz con pollo, a simple but flavorful Spanish or Puerto Rican dish made with chicken and rice. It grew an incredible 804 percent last year, as people discovered the dish might actually get tastier between the restaurant and the end customer’s table or picnic blanket.
What trends go down during summer? Soup, obviously. Pad Thai and eggrolls, both strong delivery items in the winter months, also drop notably in summer, according to the Bite Squad data.
Zooming out, it’s pretty clear delivery consumers are figuring out what travels well in the generally Midwestern states covered by the Bite Squad delivery network. The strongest growers all travel well, but the strongest are certain to stay tasty and avoid the dreaded sogginess (or soggy with delicious grease already).
See the full list below, including the projected strongest drink delivery items.
Top 10 summer food Items by percentage increase in popularity*:
1. Arroz con pollo: 804%
2. Turkey sandwiches: 113%
3. Poke: 83%
4. Hibachi: 80%
5. Philly cheesesteak: 68%
6. Hot dog: 67%
7. Antipasto: 61%
8. Sub sandwiches: 57%
9. Mozzarella sticks: 46%
10. Chicken wings: 45%
Top 10 drink delivery items for summer 2019:
1. Milkshakes
2. Lemonade
3. Iced tea
4. Soda
5. Sweet tea
6. Thai tea
7. Smoothies
8. Boba milk tea
9. Gatorade
10. Bottled water
