Trends Shift – Americans Eating at Home More

There is a common belief that more and more Americans are dining out at restaurants instead of eating at home, but in fact the opposite is true.  The number of Americans choosing to eat at home is increasing and there are many factors that are causing this behavioral shift. Here are a few of those drivers:

1.       There is less of a need than ever before for people to leave their homes.  The ease of online shopping and boom in streaming entertainment is driving less traffic to places like shopping malls and movie theatres, leading to less consumers visiting the restaurants that are nearby.

2.       Millennials, who eat out more than any other generation, are starting to slow down their restaurant visits.  As millennials age they are getting married, having children, and choosing to spend more of their income on family life rather than dining out.

3.       The cost of dining out is driving many Americans to their own kitchen rather than their favorite restaurant. In fact, 2 out of 3 Americans cite cost as the reason they do not eat out anymore.

Although consumers prefer to eat at home, they still demand convenience and do not want to spend hours preparing a meal.  Grocery stores are reacting to this demand by bringing meal kits onto shelves and providing in-store meal prep where a customer can select a meat, have it seasoned, and then cooked on the spot. 

This increase in at home dining is great for brands that are vital components of home cooked meals, but how can they stand out from the competition in grocery store aisles to gain a large share of this new business opportunity?

Winning and Licensing a ChefsBest award is one of the best ways to gain consumers trust, have them try your product, then ultimately gain their loyalty and repeat purchases.  This is because consumers recognize ChefsBest awarded product as being higher in quality and better tasting than the competition.