Restaurants serve more than just food. They’re the places we live our lives — where first dates spark romance, where family can reunite, and where we can try something completely new. While the last few years have been extremely tough on the hospitality industry, we’re starting to see dining rooms and patios filled, orders in the hopper, and tastings and live music return.
Diners are happy to get back out into their local restaurants as well as find that perfect celebration spot on their next trip. 2022 saw spikes in dining demand throughout the year*, especially in Latin America.
If you’re looking to build your restaurant business in the year ahead, here’s what you need to know:
The 5 top diner trends to watch in 2023
Even with a gloomy economic forecast on the horizon, diners prioritize eating out. It’s the most popular in-destination activity for travelers (more on that below). Inflation concerns do impact the way they intend to travel this upcoming season, either by spending less on trips (32%), using alternate transportation (31%), or choosing less expensive destinations (30%), according to this report from Skift.
But that hasn’t stopped them from planning trips, instead moving around priorities and spending habits elsewhere. Travel intent is up 35% in terms of year over year demand, according to Tripadvisor traffic — and it only seems to be going up.
As travelers plan to get out into the world again (and dine with more frequency), we’ve noticed a few patterns emerging throughout our research. Here are the five key trends for restaurant businesses in 2023:
1. Customer service remains the most important
After years of takeout and delivery, diners are looking to experience true hospitality again, the kind that only in-person dining can offer. That’s why now is the time to double down on your customer service — especially those small, celebratory touches that make a meal extra-special.
When they do dine, customer service and engagement matter more than ever. 47% of respondents said that bad service or unfriendly staff can ruin a meal — which means the stakes are higher for your staff to get it right every time. That’s especially true because…
2. Dining is the core element of any trip
When it comes to making memories, food tops the list for travelers.
On average, travelers engage in 3 or 4 in-destination activity categories and plan 30% of their budget toward them. Of these activities, 61% planned to dine out, making it the most popular in-destination activity. For travelers, planning their meals (and planning trips around their meals) can make or break a trip.
Most travelers tend to dine out while traveling, seeking to taste local cuisine. But more often, it’s the experience of dining that leads to desire for travel in the first place — like finding the perfect carnitas in Mexico City, cheesesteak in Philadelphia, or fondue in Zurich.
3. Diners want to know about the menu in advance
3 out of 4 respondents said online reviews were “extremely or very important” when making travel decisions. This holds true across types of reviews, including accommodations (82%), attractions (77%), and restaurants (70%).
With restaurants as one of the signature experiences of travel, travelers look to Tripadvisor to find the best spot. As they look at reviews, details about food are top priority (80%), unsurprisingly, while logistical elements like parking (8%), wait time (19%), and when best to dine (6%) didn’t matter as much.
4. Diners want to support diverse restaurants
While food is the most important element diners are looking for, they’re also interested in supporting restaurants that align with their values. That’s why we offer the ability for restaurants in the U.S. and Canada to self-identify from several attributes that help better represent their ownership and brand, inclusive of being:
As they look to spend their dollars more carefully in the coming year, letting diners know your affiliations (if applicable, of course) can help you stand out and hopefully make a connection with someone in your community or from afar.
5. QR codes are here to stay
One lasting impact of pandemic dining — and certainly not the one anyone expected — is the return of the QR code. Restaurants around the world began to use the technology to point diners toward their menu online, removing a potential contact touchpoint. But it’s stuck around because it allows restaurants to lower printing costs, address staffing shortages, and handle menu changes. Some diners remain ambivalent, so talk to your regulars and see what they would prefer moving forward.
Stay on top of diner trends with Tripadvisor
With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions, Tripadvisor is the place travelers can find the information they need. They turn to Tripadvisor to find out where to go and where to eat at restaurants just like yours. We’re here to help you stay on top of restaurant trends so you can capture diners right when they’re looking for their next meal, whether they’re traveling or at home.
How can we help you get ahead of the trends today? Learn more
Sources
- Tripadvisor Economic Portrait of the Traveler Report, 2023
- Tripadvisor Qualtrics October 2022 Traveler Trends
- Tripadvisor Qualtrics September 2022 Traveler Perception Report
- Tripadvisor Power of Reviews Report 2022
