Restaurant Megatrends 2019: Lines Between Meal Times Have Been Erased

[caption id="attachment_321381" align="alignright" width="240"] Download your copy of Skift Megatrends 2019[/caption] We've just released our annual industry trends forecast, Skift Restaurant Megatrends 2019. You can read about each of the trends on Skift Table as well as download a copy of our magazine here. Forget everything you thought you knew about restaurant dayparts: Customers are eating whatever they want, whenever they want it. And fast food chains, in particular, are looking to take advantage by luring diners back to stores throughout the day and late night too. Whether it’s happy hour afternoon menus or after-dark snack options, there is a battle brewing outside of the infamous restaurant “breakfast wars.” Both afternoon and evening snacking are up 1.3 percent and 5.3 percent respectively, as of the end of September, compared to the fall of 2015, according to market research firm NPD Group. That number is only projected to go up in the years to come. “I believe that the definition of meals, where and when we have them, is becoming more fluid,” said David Portalatin, VP, food industry advisor at NPD Group. “People are going to restaurants saying a hamburger, something we would consider lunch or dinner, is just a snack.” “Late Night Wars” The