TASTE OF EASTERN OREGON July 2019 | 3
DINING GUIDE | THE FUTURE
Next Generation of Diners
B
reakfast, lunch and dinner are evolving. Traditional dining from
what’s on the menu to what it costs is changing. Nowadays diners
want fresher food, value for their money and customer service.
A BrandKeys study looked at
food preferences among a total
of 3,000 people, 1,000 in each
of three groups: Baby Boomers,
Generation X and Millennials.
The results?
Boomers also want great ser-
vice and say they pay extra for
it. Gen X can be practical and
wants value for their money,
not necessarily the cheapest
price. Millennials, who tend to
have sophisticated tastes and
aren’t necessarily loyal to
restaurant brands, want
healthy food in a casual setting.
COURTING
YOUNG DINERS
Restaurants are changing to
meet the needs of diners, espe-
cially millennials, who were
born between the early 1980s
and the early 2000s. A key din-
ing demographic, there are
approximately 80 million
Millennials in the U.S.
“We’ve found that creating
moments in the dining experi-
ence that are personal, shar-
able and what we call ‘fric-
tion-free’ lead to satisfaction
and repeat visits,” says
Adam Pierno, director of brand
strategy and planning at Santy.
The brand strategy company
recently polled Millennials to
identify what makes them dine
out or stay home for dinner.
Pierno says Millennials value
being able to split checks easily
and like paying the bill on their
phones or tablets, as well as
apps. They also enjoy knowing
an eatery’s “hidden” menu and
appreciate restaurants that are
flexible with substitutions.
“Good service is still in style,
as well,” says Pierno, noting 57
percent of diners say it’s an
important factor in deciding
where to eat.
COMPETITION
Millennials don’t dine out as
often as you think. Pierno says
the generation’s dining occa-
sions are down by as much as
20 percent since 2007. Many
millennials would rather eat
dinner at home while enjoying
entertainment like streaming
movies and video games.
While 71 percent of
Millennials say they’re bud-
get-minded, they’re not very
interested in eating fast food.
They like fast-casual eateries
and will splurge for big occa-
sions. Still the recession taught
them to be wise with their
money.
“They don’t like to risk din-
ing out at a place they aren’t
quite sure will deliver a great
meal or experience,” says
Pierno.
With the restaurant indus-
try worth $632 billion, restau-
rants will be competing for
the attention and spending
power of this new generation
of diners.
© FOTOLIA