QSR: For Dining Occasions, Fast Casual to be Hit Hardest in 2018

According to a study released by AlixPartners, Americans are planning to dine out less and spend less money per meal in 2018. QSR Magazine detailed the study's findings in a recent article. Overall, consumers plan to spend $14.95 per meal this year, down from $15.20 in 2017. Thirty-one percent of respondents stated that a "lower price" was "important" or "very important" when it came to dining. Over half of the people surveyed cited re-allocating toward other expenses as the number one reason they are planning to dine out less.

“We’re starting to see a shift in spending patterns among the millennial generation, and restaurant operators need to be prepared,” says Adam Werner, global co-head of AlixPartners’ Restaurant, Hospitality and Leisure Practice and a managing director at the firm. “A lot of focus in recent times has been on the buying patterns of this generation, but it’s important to understand that Millennials are now having families and children, and that their spending priorities are beginning to reflect that.”

The survey also found that 47 percent of recipients prefer to order delivery directly from the restaurant, while only four percent prefer to order through a third-party service. Ready-to-eat meals from grocery and convenience stores seemed of more interest than meal-kit services, with 25 percent of respondents citing such meals as a way to reduce spending at restaurants.

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