Survey of 1,500 American diners reveals uptick in frequency of dining out, delivery and takeout despite rising cost of living
All-in-one POS and restaurant management system, TouchBistro, released its annual 2025 American Diner Trends Report, surveying 1,500 diners across the country. Despite the fact that consumers are paying more to visit and order from restaurants this year – 12.5 per cent more to be exact – the average consumer is increasingly willing to make room in their budget for dining and takeout, resulting in a surprisingly optimistic outlook for the restaurant industry.
Taking a closer look at the 2025 Diner Trends Report, there are major divergences in the dining habits based on demographics and income, and specific trends that restaurants should watch.
Key data points:
- Despite a higher cost of living, the average consumer’s dining habits are unchanged. In fact, the number of consumers who dine out weekly or more often was actually up slightly from 39 per cent to 42 per cent.
- The demand for takeout and delivery has slightly outpaced the demand for dining in. 28 per cent of consumers say they are ordering takeout and delivery more frequently than last year.
- Among delivery apps, DoorDash is the clear favorite. More than two thirds (73 per cent) of diners reported using DoorDash, with Uber Eats (56 per cent) in second place and Grubhub (34 per cent) in third.
- Nearly half (47 per cent) of diners say they engage with loyalty programs at least once a week, up significantly from just 34 per cent in 2023.
“Resilience stands out as the defining characteristic of this year's 2025 Diner Trends Report,” said Samir Zabaneh, Chairman and CEO of TouchBistro. “While current economic conditions have a clear effect on dining habits, consumers are demonstrating remarkable adaptability, strategically allocating their spending based on what matters most to them – be it exceptional experiences, convenient access or maximizing value.”
Lower Income Households Feeling the Pinch
As expected, inflation and rising costs have a larger impact on lower income households. While 42 per cent of American diners said they dine out weekly or more, that drops to 27 per cent of those in households making less than $50k annually. In contrast, 64 per cent of those households making $200k or more said they dined out at least once a week.
This is aligned with consumers overwhelmingly citing costs as the main reason they were dining out less this year. 45 per cent of those who said they were dining out less this year because restaurant prices are too high.
Additionally, households making less than $50k ordered takeout and delivery far less frequently than their wealthier peers. Over one-in-three (35 per cent) of households making less than $50k still order in once a week or more often, compared to 55 per cent of households making $100k to $200k responded the same.
Price is clearly the largest detractor for American diners when it comes to takeout and delivery, with 36 per cent saying cooking at home is less expensive, 31 per cent saying restaurant prices are too high and 15 per cent pointing to high delivery fees.
Gen Z Are Flexing Their Dining Dollars
Despite having less spending power than other generations, Gen Z are making an outsized impact on the restaurant industry. One-in-five (20 per cent) of Gen Z say they are going out to eat daily, and while 58 per cent of Americans say they do not plan to change how often they are dining out in the next six months, almost half (48 per cent) of Gen Z actually plan to eat out more often. 50 per cent of Gen Z also said they plan to order takeout or delivery more often.
With all their plans to dine out and order delivery and take out, here are some factors that influence Gen Z:
- While eating out is typically a social activity, this year saw a notable increase in solo dining with 49 per cent of Gen Z dining alone weekly or more often.
- 50 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials diners would be more likely to visit a restaurant if it had a Michelin star, compared to one third of Gen X and just 16 per cent of Boomers.
- Over 4-in-5 (81 per cent) of Gen Z diners are motivated to visit a restaurant if it has a limited time offer (LTO).
- 67 per cent of Gen Z have used social media to decide on a restaurant.
Tipping Culture
With rising cost of goods, it is no surprise that average check sizes are up again. This year, diners reported spending $54 on average when eating out at a restaurant – up from $48 in 2023. While diners are spending noticeably more, more than half (61 per cent) of diners say there has been no change in their tipping habits this year.
Overall, the average percentage that American diners are tipping when dining in is 16 per cent. While over 1-in-4 (27 per cent) say they tip between 20-24 per cent, this is balanced out by 15 per cent of diners who are tipping 5 per cent or less. Additionally, despite Gen Z planning to dine out more often, they are also the stingiest tippers – tipping 13 per cent on average. That is five per cent less than the average tip from Boomers (18 per cent).
As for delivery and takeout, 64 per cent of diners said their tipping habits remain unchanged. 29 per cent do not tip at all, and what may be even more surprising is that 12 per cent said they tip 20 per cent or more on take out and delivery.
Looking Ahead
“Even with rising cost of living, diners consistently demonstrate their commitment to dining out and supporting restaurants,” added Zabaneh. “This enduring customer loyalty drives the restaurant industry forward, creating clear opportunities for restaurants to enhance the dining experience through strategic limited time offers, efficient delivery and exceptional in-person service.”
Here are five ways restaurant operators can bring in new and returning customers in 2025:
- Minimizing Menu Price Increases: Just because diners are still eating out and ordering in, does not mean they are happy about higher menu prices. Restaurant operators should limit significant menu price increases, explore value menus when possible, and avoid implementing any sneaky service charges.
- Expanding Off-Premise Options: Takeout and delivery is not going away any time soon, with consumers enjoying both the lower cost and being able to eat in the comfort of their own home. Restaurants who are looking to launch or expand their off-premise capabilities should optimize for speed and convenience, the two main factors driving consumers’ takeout and delivery decisions.
- Leveraging Limited Time Offerings (LTOs): With increased competition and higher food costs, one way restaurants can stand out is with LTOs, which appeal to every generation of diners and are an easy way to draw in new customers. The key is to keep these promotions short to avoid menu bloat.
- Maximizing Diner Discovery: Most restaurant operators know that their digital presence is an essential marketing tool. By polishing their own profiles and encouraging user-generated content like social media and Google reviews, savvy restaurateurs can boost organic diner discovery.
- Experimenting with Tech: Diners are increasingly comfortable with foodservice automation and AI, and they can be a huge boost in efficiency. For back of house, operators should focus on tech that drives speed, efficiency, and cost savings. In the front of house, there should be a more cautious approach to ensure customer service is always at the forefront.
For more information, the 2025 American Diner Trends Report can be downloaded for free HERE.
To learn more about TouchBistro, go to www.touchbistro.com.
Methodology
TouchBistro partnered with research firm The Harris Poll to survey 1,500 diners in the U.S. Our research was conducted from October 15 to October 25, 2024. Survey results are accurate +/- 3% for the general population of American diners.
About TouchBistro
TouchBistro is an all-in-one POS and restaurant management system that makes running a restaurant easier by providing essential front of house, back of house, and guest engagement solutions on one powerful platform. TouchBistro helps restaurateurs streamline and simplify their operations, increase sales, and deliver a great guest experience. For additional information, visit TouchBistro.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401936078/en/
Contacts
Media: Joyce Li | joyce@talkshopmedia.com | 416-414-4797
