More and more restaurants are adopting healthier menu items and nutritional facts on their menus. A recently released NPD foodservice report may temper this as it shows “consumers see dining out as a treat or indulgence.” While over half of the foodservice visitors said they eat healthy at home, “only 24% say they eat healthy when they dine out.”
The majority of people come to restaurants to have a meal they can’t or don’t make at home. It’s about taste and having an experience they can’t get elsewhere.
This doesn’t discount the importance of health and providing options but to help better understand why customers make the choice to go out in the first place. Restaurants should still have the personalized experience for their guests allowing them to customize meals with different side items or making it gluten-free.
The restaurant industry is still held in very high regard among different business sectors. According to NRA research, “93% of Americans say they enjoy going to restaurants, and 79% say that dining out is a better way for them to make use of their leisure time than cooking at home.” This shows restaurants are in sync with the ever changing consumer environment.
Understanding your guests’ motivations when they decide to go out to eat will greatly impact whether or not they choose your restaurant. All successful restaurateurs need to find that balance between creating a great atmosphere & experience, serving delicious food and giving guests a variety of options.
Marzetti Foodservice offers delicious solutions your restaurant needs to deliver great experiences night in and night out.
