As consumer habits continue to shift, there are some notable statistics from this year that reflect top dining trends. Many operators continue to work towards recovering from the pandemic, and taking a look at these trends can help shape a successful restaurant strategy for 2025. What’s trending as we head towards the end of the year?
From dining habits to menu items, here are some of the most significant foodservice stats from 2024:
- 46 per cent of operators confirmed that in-person restaurant visits were up in 2024, while only 12 per cent noted a decrease in dining traffic. Looking at visit frequency, 38 per cent of Millennials and 24 per cent of Gen Z-ers are dining out more than 5 times per month.
- Pick-up and takeout frequency has increased by 36 per cent this year, on average.
- On menus, the global inspiration trend continues, as experts note a 64 per cent twelve-month growth increase in vegetable Pad Thai and a 51 per cent growth of globally-inspired items in the same period on restaurant menus.
- Good news for operators! Mondays is trending as one of the most popular days for people to book restaurant reservations. Globally, searches for “restaurants open on Monday near me” are up 40 per cent year over year.
- What motivated diners to return to restaurants? By generation, here’s what encourages diners to return to a restaurant: 34 per cent of Gen Z-ers want personalized surprises like free desserts for birthdays, 26 per cent of Millenials care about the ease of making a reservation, 24 per cent of Gen X-ers are looking to build a rapport with front of house team members, and 31 per cent of Boomers want to be able to walk in without a reservation.
- Customer loyalty is a top priority for operators, with about 75 per cent of restaurants now offering loyalty programs.
- To try and get ahead of the competition and attract new guests, about 80 per cent of operators are spending most of their marketing dollars on social media, and 80 per cent of guests say that they watch restaurant video content on social media.
- Technology is trending, remaining important to guests with 56 per cent looking for online ordering, 50 per cent want email activation, and 40 per cent looking to make reservations online.
Operators staying on top of the trends can be better prepared for what to expect next year and can adapt their operations to capitalize on shifting diner habits, menu preferences (and more) to get ahead in 2025.
