Generational differences in business dining
- The longer the career, the larger the tab. Baby Boomers tend to look for upscale dining choices when they travel (79 percent), as opposed to most Millennials (51 percent) who opt for fast food.
- Gen Xers are most likely to be part of a pack. About a third of Gen Xers said they typically had lunch or dinner with coworkers while on business. Millennials seem to prefer solo, on-the-go dining.
- Millennials are less comfortable expensing extras. The majority (2 out of 3) said they hesitated to expense “extras” like coffee and snacks. That number was only 1 of 3 for Boomers, and 1 of 2 for Gen Xers.
How business diners use food & restaurant technology
- Business diners have embraced mobile apps. The majority (63 percent) of diners we surveyed had dining-related apps on their mobile phones.
- Yelp is the most popular app among business diners. 53 percent of business diners said they used the Yelp app. Others in the top 5 were TripAdvisor (50 percent), GrubHub (36 percent), OpenTable (34 percent), and Uber Eats (34 percent).
- Different generations use dining technology differently. Millennials are more prone to use delivery apps (45 percent used Uber Eats), while Boomers are more likely to use review-oriented apps like Yelp (74 percent).
Business diners want to eat like a local, but want ‘tried and true’
- Most diners seek out local flavors. 77 percent of business travelers said they preferred to “eat like a local,” and half (49 percent) researched foods that were unique to their destination.
- Brand recognition is still important. 59 percent of business travelers find comfort in having “trusted brands” as available options when they travel.