Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. consumers spent more than half of their food dollar on what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls “food away from home;” in other words, on food consumed at restaurants and other foodservice establishments. The pandemic flipped that pattern on its head, with spending on food away from home dropping by more than $32 billion between February and April 2020.

In this episode we talk with Hinda Mitchell, founder and president of Inspire PR Group, a practice focused on strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, crisis preparedness and response and issues management. Many of her clients are national restaurant companies, food manufacturers and agricultural commodity groups, giving her an in-depth perspective on the foodservice segment and its relationship to the entire animal protein value chain. 

Mitchell describes the current state of affairs in the foodservice space, and some of the ongoing challenges facing restaurants, from ongoing restrictions in some states to a broader issue attracting and retaining a highly-engaged labor force.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.