• by Teresa Buyikian , 5 hours ago

Despite many people going “home” for the holidays, their Thanksgiving dinner may not be entirely home-cooked.

According to the annual nationwide study of Americans from restaurant tech provider Popmenu, more than half of U.S. consumers (53%) plan to order takeout or delivery from restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner. This is up from 37% in 2024, and 32% in 2023.

Only 5% of those surveyed plan to actually dine in-person at a restaurant on Thanksgiving, which is the same as last year, but down from a high of 17% in 2023.

Regardless of where their turkey dinner comes from, a majority of consumers (59%) plan to spend less on the holiday meal than last year, with $165 being the average expected spend.

“What we hear from Thanksgiving hosts every year is a growing desire to spend more time visiting with guests and enjoying the holiday than sweating in the kitchen,” says Brendan Sweeney, CEO and co-founder of Popmenu in a statement.  “This year's study also shows elevated concern over household economics—causing consumers to cut back on some holiday favorites, hunt for special deals from restaurants and adopt other strategies to keep expenses in check.”

In terms of what consumers are serving, 84% are staying true to the traditional turkey,  followed by ham (46%) and chicken (19%). But surprisingly almost one fifth (19%) said they expect their holiday spread to include at least one fast-food dish this year.

As to why consumers are turning to restaurants for at least part of their meal, 63% want to enjoy the holiday and not worry about cooking, while 35% said it’s because they don't want the hassle of buying the ingredients and cooking themselves. Twenty-six percent “would rather have a professionally cooked meal,” and 19% “are too busy to prepare a meal or dish.”

Popmenu's anonymous, nationwide study of 1,000 U.S. consumers, ages 18 and older, was conducted from Nov. 16 to Nov. 17.