How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules for Restaurants
If you happened to have clocked my last post, Nine Food Trends for 2025, you’ll know that I’m recently back from The National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, backed up by a week or so of eating everything I could get my hands on in that culinary hotspot.
In that post, I mentioned that one of the major drivers and influencers of current food trends is Gen Z, and while this isn’t exactly a newsflash, it’s worth noting that these 13 to 28-year-olds are entering the peak phase of their customer dining life cycle.
Ignore them at your peril! They eat out, or order in, regularly and currently account for 18% of restaurant visitations; a number that will continue to climb.
So, how does this important customer segment dine, and what are the key themes to pay attention to?
Favour First -Cravable items offering rich, bold and indulgent flavours (often motivated by social media) are the biggest drivers of restaurant selection, particularly if these items lean into nostalgic flavours from their childhood.
Health Is Also Important -They’re looking for healthier ways to satisfy their cravings and are much more health-conscious than other generations were at the same age, especially around natural ingredients, low-sugar, plant-based eating and ethical sourcing.
Price Now Beats Value - Customers have always wanted value for money; however, Gen Zs are increasingly influenced by low-price offers and respond well to deals, specials, and limited-time offers (LTOs). The trick here is to lead with a deal and then have a strategy to upsell them while they’re dining.
Convenience Is King - Gen Zs are happy to pay a premium for convenience and are the biggest users of third-party ordering systems such as Doordash. -Although they’ll be looking for deals on these platforms too. They also love to snack, enjoying flavoursome indulgences, often instead of meals and outside normal meal times.
Kids Menus - Whether it's price sensitivity or taste preference, many Gen Zs frequently order from the kids' menu, which can seriously affect table spend and margins.
Alcohol Taking a Hit - Alcohol consumption across most demos is declining, and this is even more acute amongst adult Gen Zs, 21% of whom don’t drink at all, and 39% who claim they only drink occasionally (monthly or less).
With as much as 70% of full-service restaurant profitability coming from beverage sales, it’s critical that restaurants offer a well-considered and high-margin selection of no/lo-alc beverages.
Digital Convenience - Digital amenities are important, but not at the expense of ‘the vibe’. Digital menus and ordering provide them with a faster and more efficient experience without the need to wait for table service. As digital natives, social media, Google and AI heavily influence where they dine and should be considered the first important stage of their dining experience.
Gen Z consumers are not just young Millennials and Gen Xs. The way Gen Zs select their restaurants, how they order, and what they eat and drink are significantly different, and these differences will only be amplified by Gen Alpha in the years ahead.
It’s critical that those of us in the restaurant industry pay close attention to this and evolve our offerings to meet the market in profitable and sustainable ways.