"We’re sort of buying a different product" - Stevenson on restaurant productivity | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

"We’re sort of buying a different product" - Stevenson on restaurant productivity

March 13, 2025 Marketplace

Betsey Stevenson, Ford School professor says It's really hard to compare restaurants of today to those of the past. This is part of why they are appearing to be more productive since the beginning of the pandemic. She says, with takeout, consumers don’t get table service, and they have to clean up themselves. “It’s just, we’re sort of buying a different product,” said Stevenson.