It’s that time of year where we are all busy with all the things. From Thanksgiving through the end of the year, it seems like there is always something going on from holiday parties, kids holiday events at school, or just daily life. There is no doubt that retailers love this time of year, but one particular business that sees an increase in business is restaurants. I never knew that the hardest question I would have to answer as an adult would be “what are we having for dinner?”, so anytime there is an option for convenience with dining out, I am in!

As families juggle work, school, and extracurricular schedules, one trend has emerged stronger than ever: dining out. In recent years, busy families have shifted towards dining out more often, seeking a way to enjoy meals without the effort of cooking at home. However, with inflation affecting household budgets, they’re also focusing on convenience and value when choosing where and how they dine.

In a recent study from AdMall, it was found that families are dining out more than ever, but prioritizing convenience and value, and that is something I feel to my core. As a working mom of two young kids, when I am looking for a place to eat, or even grab take out, I want something that is kid-friendly and fast.

Here are some stats and findings from the Family Dining Trends Study, Affinity Group, 2024 for places like full service, fast casual and quick serve restaurants, food delivery services, pizza restaurants/delivery, or any company targeting restaurant food delivery orderers (those ordering twice a week):

  • 74% of families report dining out more often this year compared to last, indicating a significant shift towards convenience in family dining habits.
  • 60% of families dine out specifically to save time and effort, highlighting the importance of convenience in dining choices.
  • 41% of families prioritize a diverse selection of menu options when choosing a restaurant, emphasizing the need for variety in offerings.
  • 42% of families seek good value for their money, indicating that affordability is a key factor in dining decisions.
  • 58% of families actively look for deals and discounts before deciding on a restaurant, underscoring the impact of economic factors on dining habits.
  • 29% of families are more likely to return to a restaurant if they participate in a loyalty program that provides rewards or discounts.
  • Over 80% of families have a favorite restaurant they visit frequently, indicating the importance of customer loyalty in the dining industry.
  • 88% of diners have had a memorable dining experience, with food quality being the primary factor influencing their desire to return.
  • 89% of diners plan to share their positive dining experiences, primarily through word of mouth, which can enhance a restaurant’s reputation.
  • 67% of families have experienced a bad dining experience this year, with food quality being the leading cause for negative feedback.
  • 60% of diners who had a bad experience cited food quality as the reason they would not return, highlighting the critical importance of maintaining high standards.
  • Recapturing diners after a bad experience is challenging, with half or fewer willing to return only in response to a refund or significant discount.

Using digital advertising, restaurants can take advantage of various ways to reach families, frequent diners, and even loyalty members. Through Behavioral Targeting, you can use various products to reach that target demographic:

 Display/Native/Social Mirror/Online Audio/Over-the-Top (OTT)/Video:

  • Families with Children 16-17
  • Flourishing Families
  • Moms with Big Families
  • New Families with Children
  • Established Families with Children
  • Families with School Children
  • Families with School Age Children
  • Household Type- Families
  • Household Composition- Families
  • Christian Families
  • Older Families and Mature Couples
  • Italian Food Frequent Diners
  • Mexican Food Frequent Diners
  • Restaurant Visitors- Frequent Diners
  • Frequent Diners
  • Steakhouse Frequent Diners
  • Seafood Frequent Diners
  • Chinese Food Frequent Diners
  • Korean Food Frequent Diners
  • Fast Casual Restaurants > Quick Serve, QSR and Fast Food
  • Fast Casual Diners
  • Dining (by specific location)

Facebook/Instagram:

  • Parents (up to 12 months)
  • Parents (magazine)
  • Restaurants (dining)
  • Quick (restaurant)
  • Types of restaurant (restaurant)
  • Fast Casual Restaurant (restaurant)
  • List of fast food restaurants chains (restaurants)
  • Fast food restaurants (dining)

Mobile Conquesting:

  • Big City Moms
  • Fit Moms
  • Soccer Moms
  • Stay at Home Moms
  • Suburban Moms
  • Working Moms
  • Dads
  • Millennial Parents
  • Parents
  • Diners
  • Evening Diners
  • Fast Casual Diners
  • Late Night Diners
  • Lunch Diners
  • Morning Diners
  • Morning QSR Diners
  • QSR Diners
  • Sit-down Diners
  • Quick Service Restaurant Visitors
  • Casual Restaurant Visitors
  • Fine Dining Restaurant Visitors
  • Specialty Restaurants Visitors
  • 100s of restaurants listed by name

TikTok:

  • Family
  • New Parents
  • Parents and Children
  • Parents
  • All Parents
  • Single Parents
  • Dining
  • Fine Dining
  • Restaurants
  • Local Restaurants
  • Food and Restaurants
  • Italian Cuisine Restaurants
  • Top Restaurants
  • Fast Food Restaurants

 YouTube:

  • Parent
  • Family-focused
  • Family Vacationers
  • Parents of Infants (0-1 years)
  • Parents of Toddlers (1-3 years)
  • Parents of Preschoolers (4-5 years)
  • Parents of Grade Schoolers (6-12 years)
  • Parents of Teens (13-17 years)
  • Restaurant Delivery & Takeout

If you have a list of previous customers or a loyalty program, you can use that to reach just those people and provide them with special offers and entice them to come back and dine with you. Here is an example of an email I received from a local pizza shop. Since I have used online ordering with them in the past, they have my contact information, and now I receive weekly deals via email and on Facebook from them. This targeting strategy, Custom Audience Matching, is available with Display, Native, Social Mirror, OTT, Online Audio, Video, Facebook/Instagram, Amazon, and LinkedIn.

What is also nice about Custom Audience Matching, is being able to take that list and stretch it even further with a Lookalike Audience. This is reaching people with similar characteristics on that initial list, finding them while they are online and then serving them your ads while they are browsing on various websites and apps. For example, if Chris P. Bacon down the road has similar behaviors to me, s/he could now be served this Sal’s ad through using a Lookalike Audience.

To back up how much of an impact digital ads have when it comes to reaching consumers’ attention for restaurants:

  • 8% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) took action after seeing an ad on a social media site or app. (great opportunity for Facebook, Instagram, and/or TikTok advertising)
  • 4% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) took action after seeing an ad on a streaming TV service in the past year. (great opportunity for an OTT, Social Mirror OTT, or Amazon OTT campaign)
  • 1% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) responded to video pre-roll ads in the past year. (great opportunity for Video, YouTube, or Native Video ads)
  • 6% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) have responded to digital display ads in the last 12 months. (great opportunity for a Display, Social Mirror, or Mobile Conquesting campaign)
  • 0% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) already have a company name in mind when they begin to search for a business online. (This stresses the importance of always advertising to create top-of-mind awareness so that when people do want to go out to eat, or order take out, your business is the first place they think of)

Dining out is more popular than ever, and for good reason. As families balance the demands of modern life, the convenience and value offered by restaurants make dining out a practical choice, for both parties! Whether it’s grabbing takeout for a quick meal on the go or sitting down to share a family-sized meal, the way we dine out has adapted. Restaurants that prioritize family-friendly options, convenience, and budget-conscious choices are likely to thrive in this ever-evolving landscape. By strategically selecting restaurants that meet their needs, families can enjoy a break from cooking without breaking the bank and for restaurants, by strategically selecting their ideal target demographic with an enticing offer and/or message, they can win that share of the (pizza) pie.