Smaller Portions, Healthful Options and Appealing Ambiance Could Help Drive Increased Patronage for Dinner and Late-Night Traffic, Finds Technomic

CHICAGO, March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Due in part to an improved economy, consumers are up for treating themselves to dinner more often. Today, 64 percent of consumers purchase dinner away from home at least once a week, versus 52 percent in 2011. At the same time, late-night dining occasions are on the rise too: 25 percent of those aged 18-34 say they are visiting restaurants late at night more often now than they were two years ago.  Technomic's Dinner & Late-Night Consumer Trend Report explores the traffic-driving sales opportunities within both dayparts.

At full-service restaurants, providing innovative opportunities for customization—build-your-own cocktails and create-your-own snack flights—may differentiate happy hour, dinner and late-night dining programs. Within the limited-service segment, however, some operators are moving toward a more focused approach with scaled down menus featuring a variation of a few key, craveable products that appeal to late-night diners.

"The sheer enjoyment of dining out is vital for evening occasions," explains Sara Monnette, Senior Director, Consumer Insights & Innovation at Technomic Inc. "Attentive service, an appealing ambiance and craveable menu offerings come together to create memorable experiences that drive evening traffic and allow operators to capitalize on resurgent interest in dinner and late-night visits."

[View INFOGRAPHIC – Spotlight on Dinner & Late Night Trends]

Organized into five sections, the Dinner & Late-Night Consumer Trend Report includes menu, consumer and competitive insights, trends to watch, and in-depth profiles of trendsetting and innovative brands. Additional findings include:

• While price is always a consideration, consumers are willing to pay for dinner fare made with premium, high-quality ingredients;
• Aligning with the overall snacking trend, 32 percent of consumers—up from 27 percent in 2011—say that they sometimes make a dinner out of appetizers at restaurants;
• A location's ambiance is important to attracting younger consumers for late-night occasions: 42 percent of consumers 18-34 say a lively, upbeat atmosphere is very important to late-night dining;
• Half of consumers aged 18-34 (53 percent) go out for happy hour at least once a month, and 58 percent of consumers aged 21–34 say the type of alcohol drink available is an important factor when deciding where to go for happy hour.

Technomic's Dinner & Late-Night Consumer Trend Report is one of many topics in its Consumer Trend Report series, offering the most current analysis, insight and opportunities to help grow your business. Our best-in-class intelligence combines nearly 50 years of foodservice expertise with critical findings from more than 7,000 menus per year and nearly 30,000 annual consumer interviews.

Technomic publishes a complete library of consumer trend reports. To learn more, please visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below. For Technomic updates, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or our blog. 

Contacts:
Press Inquiries: Sara Monnette, 312-506-3848, or [email protected]
Purchasing Details: Patrick Noone, 312-506-3852, or [email protected] 
Report Details: Kelly Weikel, 312-506-3830, or [email protected]

About Technomic 
Only Technomic delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. We impact growth and profitability for our clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Our services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit us at technomic.com.

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SOURCE Technomic Inc.

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