USA | More customers would rather dine out than prepare a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal according to new research.
Popmenu's annual study on Thanksgiving dining trends shows a number of consumers are going to leave the cooking to the professionals, but prefer to eat at home. This year, 37 percent of consumers reported that they plan to order takeout or delivery from restaurants for their Thanksgiving dinner, up from 32 percent last year. Another 5 percent plan to dine at a restaurant on Thanksgiving, down from 17 percent last year.
When asked how much they anticipate they will spend on Thanksgiving dinner for themselves and their guests, the average amount was $170. Popmenu surveyed more than 1,000 consumers across the U.S. from November 17 to November 18, 2024.
Consumers are leaning on restaurants to supply their entire meal or certain dishes this Turkey Day, pointing to convenience, cost, and quality of food.When it comes to the main course, it's no surprise that 87 percent of consumers will serve turkey. Ham is the second most popular choice at 39 percent. When asked if they ever ate fast food for Thanksgiving, nearly one-third of consumers (31 percent) said yes. Seventy-five percent of respondents said it was easier to order from a restaurant, where as 32 percent said it was cheaper or costs around the same as buying all the ingredients to cook at home. A further 22 percent said they were too tired to cook.
"Ordering in or dining out for Thanksgiving is becoming a new tradition for consumers who just want to relax and enjoy a meal vs. serving as the family chef for the day," said Brendan Sweeney, CEO and Co-founder of Popmenu.
"Restaurants have seen USD $10,000 or even USD $50,000 in Thanksgiving pre-orders. Although it's tougher to book something the week of Thanksgiving, there are still restaurants out there who are taking orders and reservations. Visit restaurant websites, search on Google, or call them right away."
Looking ahead to December holidays, 28 percent of consumers will order from or dine at restaurants for Christmas this year and 35 percent will do so for New Year's Eve.
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