Between 2019 and 2024, UK takeaway and delivery revenue grew about 48% (from £22.5bn to £33.4bn) while dine-in grew just 16% (from £74.5bn to £86.5bn), according to ONS data and industry research. Dine-in is still the larger channel — but the growth is off-premise, and the gap is structural rather than a pandemic hangover.
Participation vs spend
The interesting split is between how many people use each channel and how much they spend. Dine-in participation returned to its pre-pandemic level (around 85% of adults), yet its share of total sales sits at roughly 72%, below the 77% of 2019. Takeaway participation is slightly down from its 2023 peak, but revenue keeps climbing — people order less often and spend more per order.
Why this matters for a restaurant
A channel mix shift changes the economics of every table. Delivery platforms take commission that dine-in never pays; takeaway peaks compress kitchen capacity at the same hours as service; and a guest who orders at home generates data that often stays trapped inside a third-party app. Restaurants that treat takeaway as a genuine second channel — own-branded ordering, consistent packaging, delivery-aware kitchen pacing — capture more margin than those that bolt it on.
The under-35 factor
The shift is generational. Younger diners increasingly order restaurant-quality takeaways from dine-in brands, not just from fast food, and 41% of 16–34 takeaway consumers say they prefer recreating restaurant-style meals at home. That is a retention question: if a guest moves from your dining room to your delivery menu, you want the relationship — and the payment data — to move with them.
Operator takeaway
Track dine-in and takeaway as separate profit lines, not one revenue number. If your reservations, till and payments sit in one system, comparing contribution per cover with contribution per delivery order takes minutes rather than a spreadsheet weekend.