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As America ages, will we eat out less?
That’s the prediction of market researchers NPD Group. In a new report, the researchers say that overall restaurant visits will grow by 8 percent over the next 10 years. But the overall population is expected to grow faster, meaning that the number of visits per person will decline.
It’s not as though we are going to start cooking all our meals at home -- far from it. NPD still predicts that Americans will eat out nearly four times a week, or a whopping 191.5 times per year on average.
But that is down from 197.1 times in 2009 and 205.6 times per year in 2004.
Check out the full report here.
Such numbers shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Although Americans love their restaurants, eating out was one of the first splurges to be cut when the economy began to tank back in 2007.
Readers, are you eating out less than you used to?
Leave a Comment:
Nope, same job, same meals out every day.
The recession isn't bad if you've kept your job, things seem much cheaper now, companies are more willing to negotiate prices and the freeways are less crowded...I do feel bad for the unemployed people though and my nephew recently got laid off from his long term job.
People are finding out that in addition to saving money by not eating out as often they are eating healther food at home. Restaurant food is extremely unhealthy as it is loaded with sodium, transfat, fatty dairy products and you really do not want to know how they are handling your food in their kitchen. You would not be able to eat the restaurant food if you saw the filthy working conditions and the unclean cook that was preparing your food.
Eating out less, putting more money away.
Since we have a bit less money now, we are finding it entertaining to try new cooking techniques, and just cooking together. So it's a three-fold benefit - saving money, eating better, and having some fun along the way. Also, I am becoming a whiz at doing different things with leftovers, which saves even more money.
Eating out gets more difficult if you have health issues. Too much sugar, too much fat, too large of portions, too much starch and you can't even trust salad because of the dressings. I went to Applebee's for the first time in years, they had several selections marked as either 550 calories or less or Weight Watcher points. It was greatly appreciated!
Everybody is broke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I make 60% less than I did 5 years ago. In a positive note, restaurants give too much food with their meals which made us Americans FAT, so eating out less is not all that bad for us.
We eat out less because, as the lucky members of a downsized workforce, we're too tired to go out after slaving for the man all day.