Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Price is the leading factor preventing consumers from dining out
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- Figure 1: Reasons for not dining out, August 2017
- Older generations value waiter service
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- Figure 2: Dining out preferences, any rank, by generation, August 2017
- Nearly a quarter of consumers don’t dine out during the week
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- Figure 3: Dining out by meal occasion, weekend versus weekday, August 2017
- The opportunities
- Millennials are dining out for less-traditional meal occasions
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- Figure 4: Dining out by meal occasion, any day, by generation, August 2017
- Employees still crave a traditional, but convenient, lunch break during the day
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- Figure 5: Weekday day lunch preferences, by weekday lunch diners and employees, August 2017
- Young, higher income consumers are the key demographic for remote work dining
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- Figure 6: Dining out motivator, to work remotely, by age and HH income, August 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Retail caters to convenience, but restaurants edge out in experience
- Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers are still a core dining demographic
- Consumer confidence remains unsteady
Market Perspective
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- Retail stores compete for foodservice dollars across dayparts
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- Figure 7: Retail and foodservice associations, August 2017
Market Factors
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- AH and AFH sales remain competitive
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- Figure 8: AH and AFH food sales, August 2016-June 2017
- Consumer confidence dips
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- Figure 9: Consumer sentiment index, August 2016-June 2017
- Don’t overlook Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers when designing the menu
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- Figure 10: Social media usage, at least daily, by generations, August 2017
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Toast stays relevant
- Snacks get upgraded
- Grab-and-go food finds a niche between QSRs and fast casuals
What’s Working?
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- The success of toast
- Grab-and-go lunch experiences
- A place to work and a place to eat
What’s Struggling?
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- Managing food trends
- Attracting the weekday diner
What’s Next?
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- Food on-demand
- A snack upgrade
e-Performance Data
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- Overview and methodology
- McDonald’s promotes delivery for dinner
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- Figure 11: McDonald’s email, “Mcdelivery dinner for the whole family”
- Taco bell tests different subject lines to promote new Naked Egg Taco
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- Figure 12: Taco Bell email, “Our new Naked Egg Taco is breakfast stripped down”
- Figure 13: Taco Bell email, “What the shell?”
- Panera highlights retail items during busy school season
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- Figure 14: Panera bread email, [Redacted] busy schedule? Panera at home can help.”
- Casual dining chains strive to attract dinner diners
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- Figure 15: Applebee’s email, “this ain’t your average dinner”
- Figure 16: Chili’s email, “
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- Figure 17: Houlihan’s email, Burger Night! You + Hou =
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Younger consumers have higher expectations for restaurants
- Large menus are important for diners
- Dining out for breakfast is more of a treat occasion
Dining Out by Meal Occasion
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- Dinner drives the strongest visitation on weekends, but remains neck and neck with lunch on weekdays
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- Figure 18: Dining out by meal occasion, weekend versus weekday, August 2017
- Younger generations look beyond traditional meal occasions
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- Figure 19: Dining out by meal occasion, any day, by generation, August 2017
- Lunch and breakfast diners overlap with dinner diners
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- Figure 20: Dining occasions by dining occasions, August 2017
- Younger parents demonstrate variety in their dining out habits
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- Figure 21: Dining out by meal occasion, Any day, by parents and nonparents, August 2017
- Urban environments cater to brunch and late-night meals
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- Figure 22: Dining out by meal occasion, any day, by urban and suburban millennials, August 2017
- Millennials enjoy dining out for breakfast, just not on the same level as lunch and dinner
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- Figure 23: Dining out by meal occasion, weekday, by generations, August 2017
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- Figure 24: Dining out by meal occasion, weekend, by generations, August 2017
Weekday Lunch Preferences and Habits
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- QSRs maintain popularity for weekday lunches
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- Figure 25: Weekday day lunch preferences, August 2017
- Men value a traditional lunch break
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- Figure 26: Weekday lunch preferences, by gender, August 2017
- Younger parents are a key demographic for snack-based lunches
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- Figure 27: Weekday day lunch preferences, by parents and nonparents, August 2017
- Suburban Millennials rely on packed lunches more than urban Millennials
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- Figure 28: Weekday lunch preferences, by urban and suburban Millennials, August 2017
Dining Out Behaviors
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- Lunch is a more comfortable meal for dining solo
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- Figure 29: Dining out behavior, August 2017
- Young consumers have a stronger tolerance for waiting to eat somewhere
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- Figure 30: Dining out behavior, by age and HH income, August 2017
- Diners in the Northeast enjoy exploring new restaurants for dinner
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- Figure 31: Dining out behavior, by region, August 2017
- Dining alone popular in two distinctly different environments
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- Figure 32: Dining out behavior, by living location, August 2017
Reasons for Not Dining Out
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- Price is the main detractor toward dining out
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- Figure 33: Reasons for not dining out, August 2017
- Younger consumers have higher restaurant expectations
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- Figure 34: Reasons for not dining out, by iGens and Millennials, August 2017
- Consumers tend to enjoy cooking breakfast
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- Figure 35: Reasons for not dining out, by breakfast, lunch, and dinner diners, August 2017
- Parents are on a time crunch compared to nonparents
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- Figure 36: Reasons for not dining out, by parents and nonparents, August 2017
- Fast casual 2.0 could fare well in the Northeast
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- Figure 37: Reasons for not dining out, by region, August 2017
Restaurant Preferences While Dining Out
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- Diners still crave variety on the menu
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- Figure 38: Dining out preferences, any rank, August 2017
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- Figure 39: Dining out preferences, any rank, by breakfast, lunch and dinner diners, August 2017
- Service elements note generational divides
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- Figure 40: Dining out preferences, any rank, by generation, August 2017
- Black consumers place more value on a large menu and restaurant atmosphere
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- Figure 41: Dining out preferences, any rank, by race and hispanic origin, August 2017
Reasons for Dining Out
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- Breakfast satisfies a craving more than other meals
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- Figure 42: Reasons for dining out, by breakfast, lunch, and dinner diners, August 2017
- Suburban Millennials seek a dining experience that can’t be replicated at home
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- Figure 43: Reasons for dining out, by urban and suburban millennials, August 2017
- Working remotely is still a small dining motivator, but is gaining traction among younger consumers
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- Figure 44: Dining out motivator, to work remotely, by age and HH income, August 2017
- Women are social diners
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- Figure 45: Dining out motivators, by genders, August 2017
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- Figure 46: Dining out motivators – CHAID – Tree output, August 2017
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- Figure 47: Reasons for dining out, by HH income, August 2017
- Black consumers dine out with cravings in mind
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- Figure 48: reasons for dining out, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – CHAID Analysis
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- Methodology
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- Figure 49: Dining out motivators – CHAID – Table output, August 2017
Appendix – Market Factors
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- Figure 50: Population by generation, 2012-17
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