{"id":18253,"date":"2025-12-10T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/?p=18253"},"modified":"2025-12-22T08:07:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T08:07:32","slug":"restaurant-spending-statistics-by-food-category","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/restaurant-spending-statistics-by-food-category\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant Spending Statistics by Food Category: Consumer Trends &amp; Menu Insights"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"18253\" class=\"elementor elementor-18253\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6dc5d3d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6dc5d3d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cad241e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cad241e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restaurant spending varies significantly by food category, and those differences influence how menus perform in practice. While guests may order across similar categories each visit, the share of the check attributed to mains, beverages, starters, desserts, and add-ons does not remain constant.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding how consumers allocate spend across these categories helps operators assess pricing tolerance, identify revenue-driving sections of the menu, and evaluate where incremental growth is most achievable. Category-level spending data also offers clearer guidance than item sales alone when refining menu structure or prioritizing updates.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article explores restaurant spending statistics by food category to highlight current consumer trends and translate them into practical menu and pricing insights for restaurant operators.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>KEY TAKEAWAYS<\/b><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e6e08c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6e6e08c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19860cc e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"19860cc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e0e317d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e0e317d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. consumers now spend more on restaurants than groceries, making category-level spend analysis increasingly important.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food typically contributes 70-75% of restaurant revenue, with beverages accounting for the remaining share.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Americans dine out 4-5 times per month, with 55% preferring dine-in over delivery or takeout.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Core categories like chicken, pizza, and burgers dominate order frequency, while sides and beverages drive incremental value.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pizza alone generates $46.8 billion annually, highlighting the revenue weight of dominant food categories.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">French fries rank among the most ordered items overall, highlighting the revenue importance of sides beyond main dishes.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ed5bb4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7ed5bb4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><b>Overview of Consumer Spending at Restaurants<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the U.S., consumers now spend more on food away from home than on groceries, with restaurant and foodservice sales projected to reach <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/media\/press-releases\/restaurant-industry-poised-for-growth-in-2025-industry-expected-to-employ-15-9-million-people-and-r\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$1.5 trillion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2025, according to the National Restaurant Association.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With U.S. consumers now spending more on food away from home than at grocery stores, understanding how the restaurant dollar is distributed across categories provides a more accurate lens into revenue stability and upsell potential than topline averages alone.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>A. Food vs Beverage Spend<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monthly sales at eating and drinking places reached <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/research\/restaurant-economic-insights\/economic-indicators\/total-restaurant-industry-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$100.7 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> recently, reflecting the consistently high level of restaurant consumer spend.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Within the overall consumer spend, revenue is not evenly spread across menus. Industry cost and sales benchmarks consistently <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrn.com\/beverage-trends\/gastropubs-pour-out-approachable-yet-selective-drinks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">show<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that food accounts for roughly 70-75% of total restaurant revenue, while beverages contribute around 25-30%, depending on format and service style.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>B. Average Restaurant Consumer Spend<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The average U.S. diner spends roughly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/world-food-drink\/consumer-dining-trends-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$191 per month<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when dining out, up from $166 the year before, reflecting stronger spend per occasion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3><b>C. Dine-in Patterns<\/b><\/h3><p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dine-in-patterns.webp\" alt=\"Customer dine in patterns\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dine-in-patterns.webp 741w, https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dine-in-patterns-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dine-in-patterns-150x98.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent consumer surveys, Americans reported dining out about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/world-food-drink\/consumer-dining-trends-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4-5 times<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per month in 2024, up from about 3 times per month in 2023. This indicates a growing frequency of dine-in occasions.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2024, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/world-food-drink\/consumer-dining-trends-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">55% of Americans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> preferred dining out at restaurants rather than ordering takeout or delivery, up from 43% in 2023 \u2014 a measurable increase in dine-in preference year-over-year.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>D. Delivery\/Takeout Patterns<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly three out of four restaurant orders now happen off-premises (takeout, delivery, drive-thru), meaning around <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/media\/press-releases\/from-trend-to-transformation-off-premises-dining-now-essential-for-restaurant-consumers%2C-operators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">75% of total restaurant traffic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is not dine-in, highlighting how dine-in may represent a minority of total orders but remains important for certain categories of spend (e.g., beverages, desserts).<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Off-premise dining now accounts for a larger share of sales for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/media\/press-releases\/from-trend-to-transformation-off-premises-dining-now-essential-for-restaurant-consumers%2C-operators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">41% of full-service restaurants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compared with pre-pandemic levels, underscoring how much broader spend patterns are shifting across formats even for dine-in-centric concepts.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online food delivery and takeout have become dominant, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webstaurantstore.com\/blog\/4852\/restaurant-industry-statistics.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqIOVFm1TX0dtAuJc1bDmdaheWxjwkGtfna1D_8G0mgQ45dDtEP&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">77% of U.S. consumers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ordering delivery and 76% picking up takeout in a typical month, often prioritizing core food items over drinks or desserts.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>EXPERT OPINION<\/b><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-81ed039 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"81ed039\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93088c6 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"93088c6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4fa8d9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4fa8d9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kirk-t-bachmann-7366363\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kirk Bachmann<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, President, Escoffier Boulder Campus, states, \u201cIt\u2019s been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/world-food-drink\/consumer-dining-trend-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">striking to track<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> these shifts in food spending over the years, to see how we\u2019re now spending more than ever on dining out while our spending on groceries continues to fall. Your budget reveals your priorities, and this trend seems to reflect a fundamental cultural shift toward convenience over cooking at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39816a6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39816a6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><b>How Consumer Spending Varies Across Food Categories?<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examining how consumer spending varies across food categories is essential for restaurant owners to adjust their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/restaurant-menu-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">menu offerings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and operations to meet the unique needs of diners.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>1. Chicken and Poultry<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chicken is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theacsi.org\/news-and-resources\/press-releases\/2025\/06\/17\/press-release-restaurant-and-food-delivery-study-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one of the core<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> quick-service food categories alongside burgers and pizza, emphasized by top brands and consumer ordering patterns.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctinsider.com\/food\/article\/grubhub-2025-delivered-trend-report-21236799.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">76% of chicken orders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in large cities like NYC and Chicago include chicken nuggets, highlighting nugget demand.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Menu demand for chicken-driven items has risen steadily, with categories like wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches posting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.convenience.org\/Media\/Daily\/2024\/Jan\/23\/5-Restaurants-Push-Poultry-Forward_Foodservice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6.4% growth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over five years, ahead of beef items at 4.7%.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cChicken sandwiches\u201d saw a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.southernliving.com\/yelp-ranks-the-top-20-fast-food-chicken-sandwiches-11768321\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">125% increase<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in searches on Yelp from June 2019 to June 2025, highlighting growing consumer interest.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>2. Pizza<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pizza is one of the top revenue-generating food categories in the U.S., with pizza restaurants making <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spice.alibaba.com\/spice-basics\/what-food-is-most-popular-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$46.8 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> annually.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Americans eat over <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/international\/us\/americans-eat-over-3-billion-pizzas-every-year-350-slices-per-second-10-mind-blowing-pizza-facts-that-may-surprise-you\/articleshow\/122847990.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 billion pizzas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> every year, equating to roughly 350 slices per second consumed nationwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spice.alibaba.com\/spice-basics\/what-food-is-most-popular-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">93% of U.S. consumers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> eat pizza monthly, consuming approximately 46 slices per person, annually.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pizza contributes about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK610659\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">27% of total energy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> intake on days when it\u2019s consumed, reflecting its prominence as a meal choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pizza is consumed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK610659\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more frequently<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at lunch and dinner occasions among restaurant consumers.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18263\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-Pizza.webp\" alt=\"Food category- Pizza\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-Pizza.webp 741w, https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-Pizza-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-Pizza-150x98.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><h3><b>3. Burgers<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burgers and sandwiches represent the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketdataforecast.com\/market-reports\/fast-food-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">largest share<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (~38.1%) of the global fast food market by product type in 2024.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roughly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spice.alibaba.com\/spice-basics\/what-food-is-most-popular-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">79% of Americans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> eat burgers at least weekly, underscoring their popularity as a go-to restaurant item.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. consumers eat an estimated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spice.alibaba.com\/spice-basics\/what-food-is-most-popular-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">50 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> burgers annually.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statesman.com\/entertainment\/dining\/article\/national-cheeseburger-day-2025-deals-mcdonalds-21053099.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">three-quarters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of burger lovers add cheese to their burgers, indicating a strong attachment to cheeseburgers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chicken burgers are now the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwine.com\/most-popular-burger-per-state-11739087\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">most popular<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> burger type in 17 U.S. states, reflecting diversification in the burger category.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>4. French Fries and Sides<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2024, the global market for French fries was estimated at around <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com\/report\/french-fries-global-market-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$17.45 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and forecast to reach $18.44 billion in 2025.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">French fries hold the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webstaurantstore.com\/blog\/4852\/restaurant-industry-statistics.html?srsltid=AfmBOooKdKIl4wYIzbXC3QbA65LhF3ZfBXUoOReftw0ECQRYQ1Y4sSvc&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top spot<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as the most popular food item ordered online in the U.S., according to aggregated delivery data.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In DoorDash delivery data, French fries are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.owner.com\/blog\/food-delivery-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">listed above<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> burgers, tacos, salads, and pizza among popular orders.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>5. Beverages<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Per capita expenditure data shows U.S. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.canada.ca\/en\/international-trade\/market-intelligence\/reports-and-guides\/foodservice-profile-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consumers spent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about $390 on non-alcoholic beverages in 2022, growing at a ~6.4% CAGR from 2017.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Per capita spending on alcoholic beverages was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.canada.ca\/en\/international-trade\/market-intelligence\/reports-and-guides\/foodservice-profile-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">about $590<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2022, the largest among beverage categories.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Within cold non-alcoholic beverages on Grubhub, cold foam beverage orders <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctinsider.com\/food\/article\/grubhub-2025-delivered-trend-report-21236799.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increased 75%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and matcha orders increased 34% among consumers, indicating rising beverage experimentation.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beverage categories routinely appear near the top of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/restroapp-food-delivery-app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online delivery order<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lists alongside key food items (fries, burgers, tacos).<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>6. Salads and Healthy Bowls<\/b><\/h3><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18264\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-salads.webp\" alt=\"Food category- Salads\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-salads.webp 741w, https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-salads-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Food-category-salads-150x98.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of February 2024, an average American <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepacker.com\/news\/retail\/what-data-shows-about-salad-trends-retail-and-foodservice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consumed 39 salads<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a year, which is a 4% increase from the previous year.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tastewise.io\/foodtrends\/salad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">52% of U.S. restaurants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> feature salads on their menus, showing that salads are a very common category across food service operators.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to national dietary data, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK589291\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 in 5 Americans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (about 20%) consumed a salad on a given day \u2014 evidence that salads are a frequent choice among U.S. adults.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most salads (about 56%) are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepacker.com\/news\/retail\/what-data-shows-about-salad-trends-retail-and-foodservice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consumed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at dinner, with lunch accounting for about 39%.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3><b>7. Desserts<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tastewise.io\/foodtrends\/dessert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14.59% of U.S. restaurants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offer dessert dishes on their menus, indicating that dessert remains a notable category across restaurant businesses.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegan and other specialty dessert formats are among the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tastewise.io\/foodtrends\/dessert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fastest-growing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> adaptations on restaurant menus in recent trend data, reflecting diversification within the dessert category.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dessert category coverage and interest remain significant enough that operators actively track flavors and seasonal spikes to inform menus and promotions.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restaurant spending patterns show that guests don\u2019t allocate their food budgets evenly. Some categories attract frequent orders, others rely on specific occasions, and a few quietly add meaningful value when paired with the right meal. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking at spending by food category gives restaurants clearer signals on what to prioritize, where to refine menus, and how to align offerings with real customer behavior instead of assumptions.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f22197 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4f22197\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b91f29 elementor-widget elementor-widget-n-accordion\" data-id=\"3b91f29\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;default_state&quot;:&quot;expanded&quot;,&quot;max_items_expended&quot;:&quot;one&quot;,&quot;n_accordion_animation_duration&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;ms&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:400,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"nested-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-n-accordion\" aria-label=\"Accordion. Open links with Enter or Space, close with Escape, and navigate with Arrow Keys\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6240\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" open>\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"1\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6240\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> 1. What do restaurants spend the most money on? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zM124 296c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h264c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12H124z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm144 276c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-92v92c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-56c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-92h-92c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h92v-92c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h56c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v92h92c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6240\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17ee6b3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"17ee6b3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8d11b0a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8d11b0a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restaurants spend the largest share of operating costs on food and labor, which together typically account for 55-65% of total expenses. Food costs cover ingredients and supplies, while labor includes wages, benefits, and payroll-related expenses.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6241\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"2\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6241\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> 2. How much does the average restaurant spend on food? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zM124 296c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h264c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12H124z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm144 276c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-92v92c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-56c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-92h-92c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h92v-92c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h56c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v92h92c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6241\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61e88e9 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"61e88e9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5be45f3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5be45f3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The average restaurant spends 28-35% of its revenue on food costs, depending on the concept. Quick-service restaurants tend to fall on the lower end, while full-service and fine-dining restaurants usually operate at higher food cost percentages.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6242\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"3\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6242\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> 3. How much of the average food dollar is spent in restaurants? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zM124 296c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h264c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12H124z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm144 276c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-92v92c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-56c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-92h-92c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h92v-92c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h56c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v92h92c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6242\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-237f0aa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"237f0aa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08866bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"08866bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of 2024, about 59% of the U.S. food dollar is now spent on food away from home, including restaurants, cafes, and takeout, reflecting a long-term shift toward dining out and convenience-led consumption.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6243\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"4\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6243\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> 4. Where are Americans spending more money, on groceries or restaurants? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zM124 296c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h264c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12H124z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus-circle\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm144 276c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-92v92c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12h-56c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-92h-92c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-56c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h92v-92c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h56c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v92h92c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v56z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6243\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af813b1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"af813b1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29b2f93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29b2f93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Americans now spend slightly more on restaurants than on groceries, with food-away-from-home expenditures consistently exceeding grocery spending in recent years, driven by convenience, lifestyle changes, and higher restaurant prices.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Restaurant spending varies significantly by food category, and those differences influence how menus perform in practice. While guests may order across similar categories each visit, the share of the check attributed to mains, beverages, starters, desserts, and add-ons does not remain constant. Understanding how consumers allocate spend across these categories helps operators assess pricing tolerance, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":18254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}