New Dining Out Habits Mean Increased Demand for Value

Economic Pessimism Changes Habits

 

New York, N.Y. - May 13, 2010 - In April 2010, the Harris Poll® reported that more than two in five (43%) U.S. adults said they feel less secure about their personal financial situation when compared to a year ago. One of the outcomes of this sense of financial insecurity is that many consumers have changed their dining out habits.

In fact, both casual dining restaurants and fast food, or quick service, restaurants have experienced the same slow down in the past six months, with 34% and 31% of adults respectively saying they have visited these types of restaurants with less frequency than a year ago. Almost half of Americans (45% and 47%) have respectively visited casual and quick service restaurants at the same level as a year ago. On a more positive note, 13% and 14% say they visited these types of restaurants with more frequency than in the past year.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,755 adults surveyed between April 12 and 19, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

 

Perceived Value Dictates Restaurant Choice

Among those who have eaten at a quick service restaurant in the past month, half (50%) said an extremely or very important reason in choosing a particular restaurant was that the prices were in the range they were willing to spend. This attitude is consistent among those who ate a casual dining restaurant with almost half (48%) saying price was an extremely or very important reason for selecting the restaurant.

This attitude is still paramount even among those who have increased their dining out habits. Six in ten diners who increased their visits to quick service (62%) or casual dining restaurants (57%) said prices were an extremely or very important factor when choosing a restaurant. Those who have decreased their dining out habits also hold the same attitude about price - 58% said price was an extremely or very important reason when selecting a quick service restaurant and 57% said price was an extremely or very important reason when selecting a casual dining restaurant.

 

Price Dictates Menu Items Ordered

Consumer's sensitivity towards price also dictates the selection of a menu item. More than four in ten (44%) quick service and casual restaurant patrons said that the "price fitting into their budget" was an extremely or very influential factor when ordering from the menu in the past month. Price sensitivity is even more influential among those who have increased their quick service restaurant visitations in the past year with almost six in ten (56%) saying price was an extremely or very influential factor during the ordering process. On the other hand, price is less influential among casual restaurant patrons who have increased their visits (42%), as compared to those who have decreased their visits (56%) in the past year.

So What?

"While there are some indications that the economy is improving, we still see one third of respondents dining out less than a year ago, and there is a much smaller lift in respondents dining out more often," says Mary Bouchard, Vice President of Research for the Restaurant Industry. "Regardless of how often they eat out, consumers are now expecting value throughout the dining out experience. Although consumers have shown a tendency over the past few years to move their dining out dollars to lower price, quick service restaurants, any restaurant brand that promotes good value as a reason to dine out and then successfully fulfills consumer demand with price-conscious menu items are more likely to draw a greater share of today's smaller wallet."

 

TABLE 1

DINING HABITS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR

"Thinking of how often you have eaten at each of those 3 types of restaurant chains in the past 6 months, would you say you have eaten at this type of restaurant…?"

Base: All adults

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 2

FACTORS IN CHOOSING A RESTAURANT - FAST FOOD

"Please think about the most recent visit you had to a fast food restaurant chain and your dining experience there. How important were each of the following when you chose to eat at that fast food restaurant on that occasion?"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a fast food restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 3

FACTORS IN CHOOSING A RESTAURANT - CASUAL DINING

"Please think about the most recent visit you had to a casual dining restaurant chain and your dining experience there. How important were each of the following when you chose to eat at that casual dining restaurant on that occasion?"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a casual dining restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 4

FACTORS IN CHOOSING A RESTAURANT - FAST FOOD BY FREQUENCY

"Please think about the most recent visit you had to a fast food restaurant chain and your dining experience there. How important were each of the following when you chose to eat at that fast food restaurant on that occasion?"

Summary of those saying "Extremely Important" or "Very Important"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a fast food restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 5

FACTORS IN CHOOSING A RESTAURANT - CASUAL DINING BY FREQUENCY

"Please think about the most recent visit you had to a casual dining restaurant chain and your dining experience there. How important were each of the following when you chose to eat at that casual dining restaurant on that occasion?"

Summary of those saying "Extremely Important" or "Very Important"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a casual dining restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 6

FACTORS IN CHOOSING MENU ITEMS AT FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS

"Now considering the menu item(s) that you ordered at that fast food restaurant for yourself, how influential were the following when you made your order(s)?"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a fast food restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 6A

FACTORS IN CHOOSING MENU ITEMS AT FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS

"Now considering the menu item(s) that you ordered at that fast food restaurant for yourself, how influential were the following when you made your order(s)?"

Summary of those saying "Extremely Influential" or "Very Influential"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a fast food restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 7

FACTORS IN CHOOSING MENU ITEMS AT CASUAL DINING RESTAURANTS

"Now considering the menu item(s) that you ordered at that casual dining restaurant for yourself, how influential were the following when you made your order(s)?"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a casual restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 7A

FACTORS IN CHOOSING MENU ITEMS AT CASUAL DINING RESTAURANTS

"Now considering the menu item(s) that you ordered at that casual dining restaurant for yourself, how influential were the following when you made your order(s)?"

Summary of those saying "Extremely Influential" or "Very Influential"

Base: Adults who have eaten at a casual restaurant in the past month

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

 

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between April 12 and 19, 2010 among 2,755 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

 

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

 

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Q860, 865, 870, 878, 888

The Harris Poll ^® #63, May 13, 2010

By Mary Bouchard, Vice President, and Andrew Compagno, Research Manager, Restaurant Research Group, Harris Interactive

About Harris Interactive

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