These are some of the tough questions that Lightspeed asked in its latest survey of American diners. The company, which produces point-of-sale applications for restaurants and small businesses, surveyed 1,000 diners from all over the U.S. in May and found a number of unique data points.
In the past year, Lightspeed’s survey topics have covered a range of questions and concerns from small businesses and their patrons, including a transition to using social media for shopping, tipping for retail workers and dining out solo.
This round of surveys also touched on the growing trend of solo dining. Of the 1,000 respondents, 55% say they dine alone by choice, up 10% from 2024. The reasoning? Some consider it a form of self-care (33%), others use it as a way to try new places (30%) without having to plan around friends' schedules. Of the people currently writing this article, 100% say that they actually prefer to dine alone, and that having to be on other people’s schedules for longer than half an hour can make them feel physically ill.
It’s worth noting that of this round of Lightspeed surveys, 56% of the respondents were women, compared with 43% men and about 1% nonbinary. They’re also a bit regional, with 21% coming from San Francisco, 20% from New York and 18% from Los Angeles, with the remaining 41% dispersed throughout the US. The pool leaned older, with 25% of respondents being 65 or over.
The age demographics make the next finding all the more unusual, with 44% of adults admitting to ordering from the kids' menu for themselves, citing smaller portions (38%), simpler choices (37%) and budget-friendly prices (31%). We can’t say we totally understand this one. Cost-cutting is one thing; eating a soupy bowl of mac and cheese while everyone else gets a full plate of the restaurant’s signature dishes is another. But alas, the numbers speak for themselves.
Maybe There Should Be an Adult Kids' Menu?
Make it with smaller portions, simpler choices and budget-friendly prices, just with the taste and quality of a regular menu item. New restaurants, if you implement an adult kids menu, my email is [email protected]. On the note of cost-saving measures, 41% of diners reported actively looking for a less expensive restaurant before deciding where to go. We’re surprised this number isn’t higher. Who isn’t looking to pay less? Additionally, 40% say that they take home leftovers for a second meal, while 18% tip less and 15% fill up on free bread or chips.
Tipped Over
Tipping remains a big point of contention in the dining scene. More than half of the respondents (54%) say they feel pressured by tipping screens, up from 47% last year. We’re all for giving a little extra to support a small business, but yeah, it is getting a little bit out of hand. Just last week, we were given gratuity options at a vintage clothing store and a self-service ordering screen.Lightspeed gave respondents five common food services and asked if tipping should be expected in those situations. For food delivery services, 59% said that a good tip is in order. It dropped to 33% for coffee shops, 18% for counter-service restaurants, 10% for robots and 9% for self-service. The remaining 26% said none of the above.
That's Just Rude
Before you even get to tipping, Lightspeed also asked about some of the red flags that would cause a diner to not return to a restaurant. Having a rude server took top billing at 40%, with 34% saying long waits for a table. We’re most fascinated by the 4% of applicants who said that seeing the knife and fork placed the wrong way on the table would be a reason not to return to a restaurant. A separate survey for those 4% would be interesting, with questions about Lamborghinis, the best types of caviar and when to stick your pinky up while drinking.Respondents also gave their opinions on the most important things to look for in a restaurant before sitting down to eat. The clear top response was overall cleanliness, which totaled 58%, with attentive staff (39%) and visible menu prices (29%) filling out the top three.
The summarized report is posted on Lightspeed’s website.
