KEY TAKEAWAYS
Comfort Dining Out Dips Slightly: Last year, the share of the public who said they would feel safe dining out never passed 42 percent. That share reached 51 percent at the end of February and climbed to 57 percent by mid-April. As of the latest survey, however, it fell 2 percentage points to 55 percent.
Comfort With Outdoor Dining Is Still Significantly Higher Than Indoor: As cold weather ebbs in the early days of spring, Americans continue to prefer outdoor dining. Sixty-six percent of U.S. adults said they currently feel safe sitting down for a meal outside, compared to 53 percent who said so about indoor dining, a gap that has so far persisted this year.
Share of Americans Who Predict They’ll Feel Comfortable Dining Out Within Six Months Ticks Down: As of mid-April, 72 percent of respondents said they’ll feel comfortable dining out within six months, down slightly from 75 percent who said so last week. The share of consumers who said they’ll feel comfortable within a month dropped 2 points to 46 percent after hitting a new high last week.
Takeout Is Most Popular Dining Option, as Delivery and On-Premise Trail Behind: Americans prefer takeout to delivery and going out to eat at restaurants, as 31 percent of consumers said they dine in at a restaurant and order delivery, respectively, at least once a week, compared with 41 percent who said they order takeout with the same frequency. None of those shares have changed significantly through April.
Roughly Half of Consumers Are Excited to Dine Out Again: That sentiment holds true across generations. Baby boomers have typically shown more hesitation than millennials when it comes to returning to most leisure activities, but 47 percent of the older demographic said they’re eager to get back to restaurants, approximately the same share of adults overall (49 percent) who indicated the same thing. Fifty-three percent of millennials agreed.
