A Look Back at Consumers’ Restaurant Usage During the Past Year

Because the novel coronavirus started to unfold globally in early 2020, it was clear that it could have a big impression on the U.S. restaurant trade. To measure this impression, the Nationwide Restaurant Affiliation launched a weekly survey of 1,000 adults (starting in February 2020) to trace how shoppers had been utilizing eating places.

This text takes a glance again at shoppers’ restaurant utilization all through the primary 12 months of the pandemic, as measured by the Affiliation’s weekly survey. Word that this isn’t a measure of gross sales or site visitors. Fairly, it tracks the extent to which U.S. adults participated in restaurant and foodservice on a week-to-week foundation.

The survey asks shoppers about their restaurant patronage in the course of the breakfast, lunch and dinner dayparts – each on-premises and off-premises – in addition to the afternoon snack/beverage interval.

For comparability functions, the 54 weeks of survey information are divided into 6 intervals:

Pre-Pandemic (2/24/20 – 3/15/20)
Lockdown (3/16/20 – 5/24/20)
Preliminary Reopening (5/25/20 – 6/14/20)
Summer season/Fall (6/15/20 – 11/29/20)
Winter Restrictions (11/30/20 – 1/31/21)
Early Spring 2021 (2/1/21 – 3/14/21)

Within the months forward, the survey will proceed to trace shoppers’ restaurant utilization because the nation strikes towards a post-pandemic surroundings.

Beneath is a abstract of developments in shoppers’ restaurant and foodservice participation in the course of the previous yr for the 7 restaurant events tracked by the weekly survey. The figures within the charts characterize the common % of adults every week that used eating places in the course of the reference interval.

On-premises dinner: Utilization stays dampened throughout all age teams

Throughout the Pre-Pandemic interval, a median of 59% of adults every week went out for dinner at a sit-down restaurant or fast-food place. Gen Z adults (72%) and Millennials (65%) had been the almost certainly to exit for dinner within the weeks main as much as the pandemic.
On-premises dinner patronage fell sharply in the course of the Lockdown interval, with common weekly utilization plunging by greater than 40 share factors.
Because the climate improved mid-2020, extra individuals began going out for dinner. A mean of 35% of adults every week went out for dinner in the course of the Summer season/Fall interval.
After a slight dip in the course of the Winter Restrictions interval, on-premises dinner exercise trended greater as spring approached. Nevertheless, the 37% of adults every week that went out for dinner in the course of the Early Spring 2021 interval was greater than 20 share factors under the Pre-Pandemic stage.
On-premises dinner frequency stays dampened throughout all age teams. Solely 25% of child boomers every week went out for dinner in the course of the Early Spring 2021 interval – down from 50% within the Pre-Pandemic interval.

Off-premises dinner: Progress in utilization throughout all age teams

Previous to the pandemic, a median of 58% of adults every week bought takeout or supply for dinner. Millennials (72%) and Gen Z adults (66%) had been the almost certainly to order takeout or supply for dinner.
As eating places pivoted to off-premises in the course of the Lockdown interval, an rising proportion of shoppers beginning utilizing takeout and supply for dinner.
By the Preliminary Reopening interval in late-Could, a majority of adults throughout all age teams had been ordering takeout or supply for dinner.
As of the Early Spring 2021 interval, shoppers’ utilization of takeout and supply for dinner was elevated throughout all age teams, in comparison with pre-pandemic ranges. General, the most important beneficial properties in weekly off-premises dinner utilization had been seen amongst Gen Xers (from 58% to 66%) and child boomers (from 44% to 51%).

On-premises lunch: Client exercise stays under pre-pandemic ranges

Throughout the Pre-Pandemic interval, a median of 40% of adults every week went out for lunch at a sit-down fast-food place, restaurant or deli. Gen Z adults (48%) and Millennials (45%) had been the almost certainly to exit for lunch within the weeks main as much as the pandemic.
Common weekly on-premises lunch exercise fell by almost 30 share factors in the course of the Lockdown interval, with declines seen throughout all age teams.
On-premises lunch utilization solely registered modest beneficial properties in the course of the preliminary months after the lockdowns, probably as a result of many individuals had been nonetheless not going into work.
Throughout the Early Spring 2021 interval, a median of 26% of adults every week went out for lunch at a sit-down fast-food place, restaurant or deli.
On-premises lunch utilization remained dampened throughout all age teams, with exercise amongst Gen Xers and child boomers the furthest from their pre-pandemic ranges.

Off-premises lunch: Sturdy progress in exercise throughout all age teams

Throughout the Pre-Pandemic interval, a median of 38% of adults ordered takeout or supply for lunch from a fast-food place, restaurant or deli. Millennials (50%) and Gen Z adults (48%) had been the almost certainly to make use of off-premises choices for lunch within the weeks main as much as the pandemic.
Customers’ utilization of takeout and supply for lunch elevated because the economic system went into lockdown, and continued to rise all through the primary 12 months of the pandemic.
By the Early Spring 2021 interval, a median of 48% of adults every week ordered takeout or supply for lunch. That was 10 share factors greater than the Pre-Pandemic common.
Customers throughout all age teams elevated their utilization of off-premises lunch choices in the course of the pandemic. Millennials noticed the most important progress: rising from 50% in the course of the Pre-Pandemic interval to 63% within the Early Spring 2021 interval.

On-premises breakfast: Exercise stays under pre-pandemic ranges

Within the weeks main as much as the pandemic, a median of 27% of adults went out for breakfast at a sit-down fast-food place, espresso store or restaurant. Gen Z adults and Millennials (each 34%) had been the almost certainly to exit for breakfast in the course of the Pre-Pandemic interval.
Like all on-premises dayparts, the proportion of shoppers going out for breakfast fell sharply in the course of the Lockdown interval.
Though shoppers’ probability of going out for breakfast elevated in the course of the months for the reason that economic system emerged from lockdowns, it stays under pre-pandemic ranges.
Gen Z adults and Millennials are the closest to returning to their pre-pandemic utilization of on-premises breakfast.

Off-premises breakfast: Client utilization is just like pre-pandemic ranges

Throughout the Pre-Pandemic interval, a median of 30% of adults every week picked up a breakfast meal, snack or beverage from a fast-food place, espresso store or restaurant. Gen Z adults (42%) and Millennials (39%) had been the almost certainly to get takeout within the morning within the weeks main as much as the pandemic.
The proportion of adults selecting up a breakfast meal or beverage from a restaurant or espresso store declined in the course of the first a number of weeks of the pandemic, probably as a result of many individuals weren’t going into work.
Customers’ use of takeout within the morning rose because the economic system started to reopen, and reached pre-pandemic ranges by the Summer season/Fall interval.
Not like the off-premises lunch and dinner dayparts that skilled vital progress, client utilization of breakfast takeout stays typically on par with pre-pandemic ranges.

Afternoon snacks and drinks: Larger utilization amongst millennials

Throughout the Pre-Pandemic interval, a median of 30% of adults picked up a snack or beverage within the afternoon from a quick meals place, espresso store or restaurant. Gen Z adults (46%) and Millennials (40%) had been the almost certainly to go get a snack or beverage within the afternoon.
Though afternoon snack and beverage exercise dipped in the course of the preliminary months of the pandemic, it returned to regular ranges by the Summer season/Fall interval.
Millennials had been the one age group to considerably enhance their afternoon snack and beverage utilization: rising from 40% in the course of the Pre-Pandemic interval to 48% within the Early Spring 2021 interval.