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ew research from Acosta and Winsight Grocery Business sister brand
Technomic sheds light on consumers’ growing interest in foodservice
options and demand for convenience.
According to the fourth edition of The Why? Behind the Dine, 85% of U. S.
diners decide what to eat for dinner the same day the meal occurs, which has triggered the
growth of convenient meal solutions across almost every category and generation since 2015.
“Whether it’s enjoying a family dinner out or picking up carryout food, diners
are seeking convenient, healthy options for themselves and their families,”
Highlights from Acosta and Technomic’s The Why? Behind the
Dine report include:
Demand for
Convenience Is Driving
Foodservice Growth
New research from Acosta and Technomic shows consumers
are increasingly making same-day dinner decisions.
N
Retail Foodservice Technomic’s latest learnings on the high-growth category
Convenient Eats
Delivery food continues to be a popular
meal solution for diners. In the three
months leading up to the survey, 51% of
total U.S. diners and 77% of millennial
diners reported ordering delivery food.
Pizza isn’t the only food diners want
delivered. Diners surveyed expressed
interest in hamburgers (28%), chicken
wings (27%), Mexican fare (21%), barbecue
(14%) and desserts (11%).
In 2015, only 8% of U. S. diners indicated
they had ordered a meal/ingredient
kit online. That figure increased by 10
percentage points to 18% of total U.S. diners
by 2017, with more diners with kids and
millennial diners engaging with this option.
Welcoming Gen Z to the Table
Gen Z diners are already outpacing
boomer and silent-generation diners
in reported monthly spending on food
prepared outside the home.
Fifty-eight percent of Gen Z diners
agreed they use the internet to find the
best restaurant deals, the most of any
generation.
Nearly 70% of Gen Z diners agreed they
like it when they have restaurant leftovers
for another meal.
Dining Out All-Stars:
Diners With Kids
Diners with kids reported their monthly
spending on food prepared outside the
home was more than twice that of diners
without kids ($208 vs. $95).
Healthier options continue to be important
among diners with kids, with 46% eating
more salads at restaurants over the past
year, and 43% eating more restaurant
meals with locally sourced ingredients.
Diners with kids are plugged in while
dining out. Twenty-eight percent connect
to Wi-Fi on their personal mobile device
while at a restaurant.
