Horeca: a €107 billion sector facing challenges and growing consumption

November 2025

Eating out of home is no longer just synonymous with nourishment but means enjoying an experience of pleasure and quality. This will be discussed at SANA Food, the key event for business and innovation in the out-of-home sector.

Despite slowing economic growth, volatile energy prices and geopolitical uncertainty, the Horeca sector (hotels, restaurants and cafés) is showing positive signs. According to the 2025 Strategic Report - Feeding the Country, Connecting People by The European House Ambrosetti, in 2024 the sector achieved a turnover of €107.1 billion and added value of €53.8 billion, with 1.5 million employees and approximately 362,000 active businesses. Horeca distribution alone generated €15.3 billion in revenue and €2.7 billion in added value.

Focusing on restaurants, the 2025 Restaurant Report by Fipe - Confcommercio indicates an added value of €59.3 billion, up 1.4% compared to 2023 and 6.3% compared to pre-COVID levels. Out-of-home consumption reached €36.4 billion, equal to one third of total food expenditure, and employment exceeded 1.3 million.

Eating out of home is increasingly becoming an experience linked to the pursuit of pleasure, socialising and personal gratification. The international survey conducted by CSA Research shows that, in Italy, over 63% of respondents had eaten at least one meal out in the previous week, with dinner (50.3%) being more popular than lunch (25.9%). The main reasons? Leisure (37.4%), socialising (28.6%) and the desire to treat oneself to quality experience (7.6%).

When it comes to choosing a restaurant, price is no longer the only factor: the menu, quality of ingredients, origin of raw materials and healthy options are among the main criteria that guide consumers. Another driver is digitalisation: online bookings, delivery apps and electronic payment systems are now commonplace, and the use of management software and artificial intelligence solutions is growing. In 2024, 43.2% of companies in the sector invested around €3 billion in digital innovation, and a third of companies have already planned new investments.

By adapting to increasingly demanding customers and focusing on quality, experience and technology, the Horeca sector confirms its resilience and capacity for innovation, enabling it to grow in an increasingly competitive market. These trends will be discussed at SANA Food, the leading event for business and innovation in the out-of-home sector.