As consumers continue to pinch pennies in this economic
climate, they’re becoming more decisive about where and how they spend their restaurant dollars.
That’s according to a new report from POS and payments platform Lightspeed Commerce
that surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers.
Nearly 40% of those surveyed say “rude service would keep them from returning to a restaurant.” This was followed by almost 34% saying
“cold food,” 27% citing long waits and 24% stating sticky tables or menus would keep them from dining at a specific restaurant again. Of these, “nearly one in three say they’ve
walked out due to long wait times, while one in five have left because of rude staff.”
“[P]eople are choosing their dining experiences more intentionally, [and thus] delivering on
the basic foundations of good service—like hot food, respectful service and reasonable wait times—matters more than ever,” says Adoniram Sides, senior vice president, hospitality at
Lightspeed. “Customers are looking to feel valued the moment they walk through the door. … As dining becomes more of a treat, customer expectations will continue to rise.”
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And while consumers are becoming more selective where they dine, they still want to save as much cash as possible while in the restaurant, even if that means ordering from the kids menu. A full 44%
of adults surveyed reported ordering for themselves from a kids menu, with reasons given such as “smaller portions (38%), simpler choices (37%) and more budget-friendly prices (31%).”
Tipping fatigue remains an issue for many diners. The pain seems to come mostly from preset tipping screens, with (54%) of diners say they feel pressured by them, which is an increase from 47% last
year. 44% report tipping less this year than 2024, and 29% wish tipping was eliminated entirely. But 59% of these same consumers also said, “tipping delivery drivers is important”
and 33% said the same for coffee shop staff. Most reported still tipping int the 15–20% range for strong service.
Solo diners are also on the uptick, with 55% saying they dine out
“solo by choice,” an increase from 45% in 2024. Of those, 33% see it as “self-care,” with 30% using it as “a way to try new places.”