It looks
as if this is going to be one of the best holiday seasons for the restaurant
sector, and that is simply good news according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru®
at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice
Solutions®.
Yes, consumers
are choosing restaurants this holiday season, according to a new National
Restaurant Association survey showing two-thirds (63 percent)
of adults plan to eat out during the next several weeks and half (48 percent)
plan to order takeout or delivery.
“Our
research confirms that restaurants serve a practical need during the holiday
season—giving guests the gift of time so they can enjoy the warmth of good
company with family and friends,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of
the National Restaurant Association. “The data also reveal that takeout and
delivery remain critical components of the guest experience for every age
group. From Gen-Z to Baby Boomers, restaurants have options to meet every need
and taste preference, in this season and throughout the year.”
This
holiday season, consumers see value in letting restaurants help heighten their
meals at home. Sixty-six percent of those choosing to order in from a
restaurant will order the entire meal from a restaurant, while many are
trusting restaurants with the main course (89 percent), sides (86 percent) or
appetizers (74 percent) for their meal. Nearly 2 in 3 (63 percent) will
purchase desserts from a restaurant.
Social
Media’s Role and Generational Differences
Given the
emergence of TikTok-driven trends at restaurants in the National Restaurant
Association’s 2024 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, owners,
operators and chefs should look for social inspirations when putting together
their holiday main courses this year. Chefs from across the U.S. found that
consumers want to try new foods, but in a way that’s recognizable, comforting
and communal – which lends itself well to the holiday season. For millennials
planning to order out this holiday season, the majority (91 percent) said they
were most likely to purchase the main course from a restaurant.
Why and
how consumers choose where to eat this season also differs by generation:
§ 82 percent of millennials point
to the importance of takeout or delivery options when choosing a restaurant as
compared to a little more than half (53 percent) of baby boomers.
§ Millennials are the most likely
to use a restaurant over the holidays to avoid grocery shopping during busy
times (75 percent), surprisingly beating out Gen Z (65 percent). Baby boomers
are the least likely to factor in grocery shopping (57 percent).
§ Overall, baby boomers are the
least likely to let restaurants do their cooking (72 percent) over the holidays
whereas Gen Z (86 percent) are the most likely to go out or order in.
The
National Restaurant Association conducted an online survey of 1,010 adults
nationwide November 10-12, 2023.
In case you did not know, founded in 1919, the National
Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant
industry, which comprises nearly 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets
and a workforce of 15 million employees. Together with 52 State Associations,
we are a network of professional organizations dedicated to serving every
restaurant through advocacy, education, and food safety. We sponsor the
industry’s largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show);
leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe);
unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart). For more information,
visit Restaurant.org and
find @WeRRestaurants on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Are you trapped doing what you
have always done and doing the same way?
Interested
in learning how Foodservice Solutions Five P’s of Food Marketing can edify your
retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient
meal participation, differentiation and
individualization? Email us at: [email protected]