While the past year has been hard on everyone, it’s been particularly tough on the restaurant industry, who have been dealing not only with shutdowns, but new consumer behavior when it comes to dining out. Well, a new survey looks at the impact of the past 12 months on restaurants and customers, and the results are probably not all that surprising.
The new LendingTree survey finds:
- 50% of Americans say a favorite restaurant has shut down due to the coronavirus, with that percentage increasing to 65% in the Northeast.
- Part of the reason is that many Americans have changed their dining out habits.
- While 61% of folks say they ate out at least once a week before the pandemic, that number drastically dropped in the past year, with only 37% of people saying they ate out at least once in November.
- Overall, 70% of people say they have dined indoors at least once in the past year, with Gen Z most likely to do so (83%), along with those earning six figures (82%) and those living in the South (75%).
- But those who do go to restaurants do so with some conditions.
- 29% will only dine out if a restaurant is following strict safety protocols.
- 25% will only dine out with their immediate household.
- 20% only dine out if they can sit outdoors.
- 41% have left a restaurant that was overcrowded or where people weren’t wearing masks.
But it does seem as though some folks are trying to do what they can to help out restaurants in their areas.
- 32% of folks say they have made an effort to eat local rather than with a chain.
- 60% of people say they are now big tippers, with 28% of folks upping their tips at restaurants, 26% doing so for deliveries and 17% leaving big tips when they take out.
- 22% of folks say they tipped between 15% and 19% the last time they dined out, while the same percentage tipped between 10% and 14%.
- 21% of people tipped between 20% and 24%, while 10% actually tipped more than 25%.
Source: LendingTree
