Food & Beverage

Older Gen Z consumers aren’t hitting restaurants like earlier generation

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June 28, 2022

While older Gen Zers should be hitting their peak restaurant visit stage, their visits are much less than the previous generation at their age.

And it's not purely an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply there is more competition for the Gen Z dollar and increasing prices are keeping down restaurant visits, according to a report from The NPD Group.

Two decades ago, when Gen Xers were young adults they were averaging 284 visits per person a year. Gen Z young adults made 218 annual restaurant visits per person in the 12 months through February 2022, according to a press release on the data findings.

The competition for the Gen Z dollar is coming from apparel, footwear, beauty and technology categories. The report noted that many apparel brands have been successful in tapping into Gen Z values, such as empowerment and diversity, and are gaining a larger share of Gen Z spending.

Half of the Gen Zers surveyed by NPD said higher menu prices had impacted their restaurant visits.

"Restaurant operators and their manufacturer partners must quickly adapt to how Gen Z consumers think and feel," David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor and author of "Eating Patterns in America," said in the release. "An understanding of which menu items to emphasize, the food attributes they seek, menu innovations that appeal to them and their preferred advertising platforms will help you win the favor of this valuable generation."