Restaurants are winning over busy parents — but slipping with child-free diners

• Technomic consumer data shows that couples with kids order from restaurants more often than singles.
• Singles and couples without children dine out less often than the average person, the data shows.
• That means families pay an extra premium as restaurants raise costs amid concerns about inflation.

Anyone who’s wrangled their toddler through a meal at a restaurant knows it’s not exactly relaxing — but for plenty of parents, dinner out still beats cooking at home.

Families with kids are relying on meals from restaurants more than most people, while singles and couples without children are cutting back, according to new data from Technomic. The split highlights shifting consumer priorities as diners adjust to rising prices and inflation.

On average, 67% of consumers either dine in or order out from restaurants at least once a week. However, for couples with kids, that number jumps to 80%, Technomic found. Conversely, adults living with a spouse and no children, or those living alone, report below-average weekly restaurant visits, at 65% and 63%, respectively.

The increased reliance on restaurants suggests that dining out is more than a luxury for busy families with children; it is instead a “routine coping mechanism,” according to Technomic.

And that means families are paying a premium as dining costs increase. The National Restaurant Association reported in September that consumer spending at restaurants has increased by 24.5% above its projected trendline, surpassing the pre-pandemic spending trends observed from 2010 to 2019. Much of that increase is attributed to higher menu prices rather than more frequent visits to restaurants.

The industry has, in recent years, shown a renewed focus on providing more meal options for children, including the 2021 expansion and modernization of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program, which aims to make it easier for restaurants to offer and promote healthy meals for kids.

And catering to kids may be a winning strategy for those restaurants that choose to adapt.

“Investing time and thought into a kids’ menu can increase customer loyalty, because they know their kids are going to be taken care of,” Nicole Pisani, cofounder and chief innovation officer at Chef’s in Schools, told the Sustainable Restaurant Association in April.

For restaurants, families may be the most reliable customers left — but that loyalty could result in permanent changes to the industry. As child-free diners tighten their budgets and parents lean harder on takeout to survive busy weeks, restaurants may have to rewrite the menu — not just the prices — to keep everyone coming back.

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