New Voxburner research of 1,244 young people has revealed the eating out habits, attitudes and preferences of UK 16-24s.
In a survey conducted in March 2014 we explored the influences driving eating out decisions, discovered what makes a good eating out experience for young people and delved into their spending expectations.
Some of the things we found out:
- Their favourite restaurants for fast food and casual dining;
- The appeal of technology integration into the dining experience;
- The restaurant brand values that matter most to them;
- Interest in the street food trend;
- The role of healthy eating in menu design;
- Plus over 20 questions relating to eating out.
Dig into this fresh research for when you subscribe to the Voxburner newsletter below. If you already subscribe, simply input your email to access.
Influence
When considering eating out, above anything else the majority want to be able to access the full menu and prices of their proposed eatery online. That’s what 90% said, with the second priority – being able to see whether the restaurant has an available table – coming a long way behind on 48%.
When thinking about eating out at a restaurant, which of the following appeals to you? Tick all that apply.
Being able to view the full menu and prices online 90%
Being able to see if a restaurant has a free table via an app or website 48%
Booking a table via an app 47%
Ordering food via a digital platform or app 22%
Paying for meal using a digital platform or app 22%
A screen at your table 10%
Meanwhile there is a vast gap in priorities between those that matter a lot and those that are of minor importance. Good service, cleanliness and a convenient paying process are the most highly valued.
Which of the following important to you? Tick all that apply
Good customer service 94%
Cleanliness 85%
Being able to order and pay quickly 72%
If the restaurant looks popular 27%
A seat by the window 21%
Being able to ‘check in’ at a restaurant on social media 11%
We know from previous Voxburner research that this audience is price-driven and the brands they like tend to be value-centric. We also know that young people are sophisticated shoppers across the board, using price comparison websites, practicing ‘showrooming’ and embracing voucher and discount platforms to get the best deals. While the Vouchercloud era may have passed in the media’s eye, it’s clear promotions are still a key way to entice 16-24s.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: discounts or 2-4-1 deals at restaurants are less important to me than they were 12 months ago
Strongly agree 4%
Agree 10%
Neither agree or disagree 24%
Disagree 38%
Strongly disagree 25%
How important are restaurant reviews on influence? Only a small number dismiss restaurant reviews altogether, but for most they are only important sometimes.
When it comes to writing their own reviews, young people are most active in social media. Facebook is the most likely place to mention a restaurant experience. A majority – 56% – say they are likely to post a photo of their meal online.
Over a quarter say they are active on review sites like TripAdvisor and TopTable.
How important are restaurant reviews when you are trying somewhere new?
Quite important, I sometimes look at reviews 66%
Very important, I will always look at reviews 21%
Not really important 13%
Following a restaurant experience, how likely are you to do each of the following?
Write a review on a website e.g Toptable, Tripadvisor
Very likely 8%
Somewhat likely 20%
Not very likely 39%
Not at all likely 34%
Write a review on your own website or blog
Very likely 6%
Somewhat likely 17%
Not very likely 28%
Not at all likely 49%
Add a mention on Facebook
Very likely 16%
Somewhat likely 42%
Not very likely 24%
Not at all likely 18%
Tweet
Very likely 16%
Somewhat likely 31%
Not very likely 22%
Not at all likely 31%
Take a photo of your meal and post it on social media
Very likely 21%
Somewhat likely 35%
Not very likely 23%
Not at all likely 20%
When thinking about restaurants in general, which of the following would you like to see?
The main ingredients of a dish printed on the menu 72%
The number of calories in dishes printed on the menu 44%
The level of salt in dishes printed on the menu 18%
Spending expectations
How much are young people willing to budget for different types of eating out experience? For fast food, 86% expect to spend under £10. For a high street restaurant like Pizza Express or Nando’s, 61% are looking to spend between £11 and £20 while a quarter are prepared to spend up to £30 per head, including drinks.
For each of the following options, how much would you be prepared to spend on a meal (including drinks)?
Fast food restaurant
Under £10 86%
£11 - £20 12%
£21 - £30 2%
£31 - £40 1%
£41 - £50 0%
More than £50 0%
Local or high street restaurant
Under £10 7%
£11 - £20 61%
£21 - £30 25%
£31 - £40 6%
£41 - £50 1%
More than £50 1%
Michelin starred restaurant
Under £10 3%
£11 - £20 11%
£21 - £30 28%
£31 - £40 27%
£41 - £50 17%
More than £50 16%
Customer experience
We aimed to discover what young people love most about their favourite restaurants – and what they hate.
Thinking of your favourite restaurant for a quick bite, what do you LOVE most about it?
Tasty food 90%
Value for money 78%
Good service 48%
Convenient location 33%
Menu variety 32%
Familiarity / know what to expect 29%
Atmosphere 24%
Venue design 9%
Character / brand (ads, attitude) 4%
Top ten restaurants that are front of mind as favourites for a ‘quick bite’
Nando’s
McDonald’s
Subway
JD Wetherspoon
PizzaExpress
KFC
Frankie & Benny’s
Harvester
Pizza Hut
Thinking of your favourite restaurant to eat out with friends, what do you LOVE most about it?
Tasty food 86%
Value for money 62%
Good service 51%
Atmosphere 45%
Menu variety 31%
Convenient location 30%
Familiarity / know what to expect 21%
Venue design 14%
Character / brand (ads, attitude) 6%
Top ten restaurants that are front of mind as favourites for a meal out with friends
Nando’s
PizzaExpress
Frankie & Benny’s
McDonald’s
JD Weatherpoon
Pizza Hut
TGI Friday’s
Zizzi
Wagamama
Thinking of a restaurant you visited and didn’t like, what did you HATE the most?
Service 60%
Cost 57%
Food 54%
Atmosphere 32%
Menu variety 28%
Unfamiliar 17%
Venue design 12%
Location 10%
Character / brand (ads, attitude) 8%
Thinking of a restaurant you have never visited and don’t want to, what do you think you would HATE most about it?
Food 56%
Cost 55%
Menu variety 34%
Unfamiliar 31%
Atmosphere 29%
Service 29%
Location 18%
Character / brand (ads, attitude) 14%
Venue design 12%
What would attract a young person through the doors of a new restaurant?
Imagine you found a new favourite restaurant. What do you imagine would be the most likely reason you were attracted to it?
Quality food - but cheaper 70%
Interesting menu 54%
Trial offers and discounts 34%
Customer service 26%
A new restaurant concept 22%
Great looking venue 21%
Good customer reviews 19%
Innovative use of technology (eg easy way to pay) 9%
Good media coverage 6%
Strong social media presence 4%
Ads explaining who they are 3%
Restaurant brand values or characteristics that are appealing
Thinking of what makes a great restaurant brand, choose 5 characteristics that appeal to you
Value 52%
Fresh 49%
Friendly 43%
Choices 35%
Satisfying 32%
Healthy 28%
Quick 28%
Authentic 28%
Passionate 26%
Relaxing 25%
Reliable 23%
Innovative 16%
Down-to-earth 16%
Classy 15%
Creative 15%
Fun 13%
Exciting 13%
Ethical 13%
Lively 10%
Attentive 9%
Dedicated 7%
Cool 7%
Qualifying the street food trend
It’s been reported that the urban street food trend is finding appeal among young people, who are responding to novelty, value-for-money, convenience and interesting flavours.
We asked our respondents, who are equally dispersed across the UK, whether they are receptive to the street food concept:
* I would consider getting street food as an alternative to going to a restaurant 65%
* I would only eat street food whilst travelling abroad 27%
* I would never eat street food 8%
Summing up
This new research presents a familiar portrait of the new generation of young consumers. Whether buying groceries, shopping for clothes or eating out, they consistently rank value as their top priority, love convenience and are attracted to novelties and new concepts. They also enjoy casual, friendly environments. It’s no coincidence then that such characteristics are common to their top eating out brands – favourite Nando’s, for example, has all of these.
It’s clear that manners still matter to a generation stereotyped by some as poor practitioners themselves. Customer service is hugely influential on their choice of eatery. Their expectations are high when it comes to keeping up with technology and digital – half want to spot where they can grab a free table by using their devices, typifying the needs and attitude of a generation for whom organising and simplifying their lives through technology is paramount.
It’s interesting that a good or bad review is most likely to be found on Facebook, and therefore immediately networked to friends, family and contacts, with little opportunity for response from the brand. And young people have underlined their frugal imperative in this research by strongly defending the role of vouchers.
Some comments from young people
Kat F. “The last place I went to was Nando’s! You know what you’re getting at Nando’s and you know it’ll be good, so it’s always a firm favourite amongst my friends. I hadn’t been in a while and noticed an increase in prices on both the menu and minimum spend for the loyalty card scheme, but this still hasn’t really deterred anyone I know, because it’s always been a regular place to eat out. As there is one right by the cinema in Reading, Orange Wednesdays and Nando’s is a typical Wednesday afternoon/evening, and I have no doubts I’ll be going back again.”
Holly. ”The last place I went out for a meal was at a casino, the service and food was really good and I have no idea about the price because it was free (my boyfriend works there) and we got a free bottle of wine. I would definitely go there again.”
Claire. “The very last place I went was a restaurant called Cafe Zoot, was really quite posh and a little more expensive than a student could afford on their own but the food was beautiful and all in all good value for money. It was a Saturday night so all the normal easy to access places were packed so we tried somewhere different when I had guests visiting me away at uni. I would definitely go back, it was so enjoyable and the nicest food I’ve had in ages! Worth every single penny.”
Gareth. ”Last place I ate out was Mughli in Rusholme, Manchester. Best curry I’ve ever had, me and my parents only went there because our usual was full. Lovely food, authentic to India (unlike most Indians you find). Pricey though. We will go back many times, it’s our new favourite.”
Zoe. ”I just went to Frankie and Bennys on Kingswood park in Hull with a colleague following an interview. It was lunch time so it wasn’t massively busy and there were no birthdays so it was pretty quiet and relaxed which is just what we needed! Food was served quickly and the waitresses were friendly, all in all a lovely experience. The price was just right too.”
