Spring is in the air and consumer behaviour is shifting. As winter thaws, Canadian diners are looking to get out and enjoy time together over a shared meal. What’s changing about the way that diners plan their gatherings, enjoy their meals, and is solo dining still popular?
OpenTable offers some data into what dining will look like going into Q2 of 2026, from group dining to reservations and beyond:
- Group dining including six or more people is on the rise, up 15 per cent this month year-over-year.
- 62 per cent cite birthdays as the main reason for booking group dinners.
- 53 per cent of Canadians say dining at a restaurant is important for kicking off a big night out with friends, and 38 per cent say that going out for dinner is often the most enjoyable part of the evening.
- 31 per cent of groups (6+ people) dine out at least once a month, but for a quarter of diners, finding a restaurant that suits everyone’s tastes or dietary needs can still be a hurdle.
- 6pm the most popular group dining time, as diners try and make the most of their evenings.
- More than half of Canadians (55 per cent) prefer each person pay for what they ordered, while only 16 per cent prefer splitting the bill evenly (potentially covering items they didn’t consume) but this number rises to 29 per cent among Gen Z.
What can restaurants do to make the most of these trends?
Knowing that group dining is trendy can help operators manage operations to capitalize on this trend. Here are some steps restaurants can take to raise revenues this season:
- Offering share plates, group discounts, and organized events may entice groups to choose you restaurant over the competition.
- Encourage reservations so you can plan labour accordingly, scheduling more staff when you know that your restaurant will be full of larger groups.
- Consider adding a private event space so larger groups can gather together to celebrate. This may mean including a separate event menu, dedicating specific staff, and advertising the space to drive traffic.
- As the insights above suggest, consumer behaviour is shifting. Examine the data from your restaurant to predict traffic, diner preferences, labour needs, and more.
As more people dine out in larger groups, operators have the opportunity to fill their seats and develop long-term loyalty with exceptional dining experiences.
