Influence of Work-from-home on Restaurant Guests

The rise of remote work and work-from-home trends has sent shockwaves through the restaurant industry. To stay competitive in this new landscape, restaurant operators must closely monitor how these trends impact their business, not just during lunch hours, but also during breakfast, dinner, and coffee service.

At Skipli, we recognized the importance of understanding the dining habits of the remote workforce in the United States. In this blog post, we present valuable insights into restaurant ordering frequencies by age group, meal types, and more. Additionally, we offer strategic marketing tactics that can help boost sales during working hours and explore how often diners return to their favorite workday restaurants on evenings and weekends.

Key Takeaways
1. Lunch Dominates the Workday

Our research reveals that lunch orders take the lead during the workweek for work-from-home diners. An impressive 75% of our survey respondents working remotely or from home get lunch out at least once during the workweek, with 31% enjoying lunch out at least three times weekly. Dinner follows closely behind, with 73% opting for dinner out during the workweek, and 27% dining out three times a week.

2. Breakfast and Coffee Participation

While coffee and breakfast are less popular for remote workers, a majority still indulge at least once a week. Approximately 59% of respondents enjoy coffee during the workday, with 56% doing the same for breakfast.

3. Age Matters

Age plays a significant role in dining preferences among remote workers. Lunch is most popular among the 18-29 age group, with 84% enjoying it at least once a week. For millennials and younger Gen Xers, dinner is the standout choice, with nearly three-quarters dining out weekly. This trend peaks at 80% for the 30-44 age group.

Restaurant Deals to Drive Sales

Work-from-home diners have made it clear what would encourage them to dine out more often during the workday. The top three incentives include BOGO deals (47%), loyalty programs (43%), and discounts on specific days of the week (40%). Notably, preferences differ by age, with discounts for loyalty program members being the most popular offer among 18-29 year-olds.

Evolving Lunch Trends

Our latest Restaurant Trends Report highlights the transformation of the lunch hour, especially in the wake of the pandemic and the surge in remote work. Lunch checks have surged by about 46% in Q1 2023 compared to Q1 2019. Average spending on dine-in food increased to $24 per transaction, and $22 for takeout transactions in Q1 2023, marking a 49% and 42% increase, respectively, from Q1 2019. Dine-in transactions accounted for 70% of lunchtime transactions in Q1 2023, down from 79% in Q1 2019. Meanwhile, takeout transactions increased to 27% in Q1 2023, up from 20% in Q1 2019, with delivery accounting for about 3%.

The Impact of Work-from-Home on Lunch Habits

We speculate that the rise in takeout lunches could be attributed to the work-from-home trend. A 2016 New York Times study revealed that 62% of American workers ate lunch at their desks. If this trend applies to our work-from-home audience, it could explain the surge in takeout lunches as workers grab meals to enjoy while working from home.

Expanding Beyond Workdays

Restaurants can maximize their sales by catering to workday crowds and also attracting evening and weekend diners. Our survey found that 62% of remote workers visit their workday restaurants on nights and weekends at least once a month. Loyalty programs, email & SMS marketing, happy hours, and social media marketing are the top drivers for getting these diners to return for dinner and weekend visits.

How Skipli Can Help

Skipli understands the importance of restaurant loyalty programs and their impact on driving sales during the workday. Our POS-powered loyalty program simplifies the process for guests to sign up and redeem rewards. Furthermore, our technology can seamlessly handle digital ordering via takeout and delivery without disrupting the dine-in experience. For lunch-focused, counter-service restaurants, our New Steps of Service feature offers multiple order and pay options, including traditional counter service, self-serve kiosks, QR code ordering, takeout shelves, and delivery through various channels.

Are you ready to optimize your restaurant’s performance in the age of remote work? Schedule a demo with Skipli today to discover how our solutions are tailored to meet your unique operational needs. Don’t forget to subscribe to Skipli’s blog for more industry insights and expertise.

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