The stateside trip will get up close with hot concepts and on-trend cuisines, including barbecue joints, food trucks, taquerias, craft brewery taprooms, music bars and restaurants that fuse American food with international influences from Japan, Mexico, China, Korea and many more countries. The tour will also hear the stories of exciting new and established venues direct from their founders and leaders.
Insights from the Atlantic Club trip are bolstered by research from CGA by NielsenIQ, a partner on the tour. It highlights the dynamism of Austin and Texas in the US’ drinking out scene, with trends including:
- Huge interest in spirits, with sales across Texas over the last quarter 21% higher than the national average
- The massive popularity of tequila—sales of which are 30% above the US average in Austin
- The appeal of domestic super premium and imported beer, with sales 35% and 49% ahead of the average.
CGA’s extensive consumer research also reveals people’s latest habits and preferences in Austin’s On Premise, to help suppliers and operators identify and reach their target markets. Insights from a survey of consumers who have visited the city in the last six months include:
- More than a third (34%) have visited to eat at restaurants, while a quarter (26%) cite the nightlife as a top reason for their trip
- One in three (33%) has visited a casual dining chain in Austin, while 28% have been to a sports bar
- Nearly half (49%) of visitors drank beer in the city’s bars and restaurants, and seven in ten ordered a pitcher or bucket deal
- Vodka (drunk by 33%) is Austin visitors’ most popular spirit.
The Atlantic Club—founded by renowned industry expert Peter Martin and now in its fifth year—connects hospitality leaders from the US and UK and introduces them to new and innovative concepts and in-depth local knowledge. The Austin tour follows a very popular Atlantic Club trip to Florida in 2022.
The Atlantic Club’s Austin tour takes place from 10 to 12 May 2023, with very limited places available to board / director level operators of multi-site out-of-home food and drink businesses. Click here to learn more and email Peach 20/20’s James Martin at james.martin@peach2020.com to register your interest.
Insights from the tour can be complemented by CGA by NielsenIQ’s suite of services to support operators and suppliers in the US On Premise. They include deep sales insights and authoritative consumer research to help leaders achieve winning strategies in brand activation, ranging, pricing, and location planning across the US. To discuss CGA’s capabilities and learn how they can support your business, please contact Andrew Hummel at Andrew.Hummel@cgastrategy.com.
