WASHINGTON—Citing convenience as their primary motivator, more than 14 million Americans will eat their Thanksgiving meal at a restaurant this year, and another 16 million will turn to restaurant takeout to supplement a meal at their own or someone else’s home, according results of a new National Restaurant Association survey.
Overall, 55% of American adults say they plan to eat a meal at their own home this Thanksgiving, 46% say they plan to eat a meal at someone else's home, 6% plan to dine at a restaurant, and 3% don't plan to have a special meal. One in 10 plans to have more than one Thanksgiving meal this year.
When asked about the top reason for using restaurant services this Thanksgiving, 63% of consumers said that the convenience of using restaurant-prepared takeout items for all or part of their Thanksgiving meal allows for more time with family and friends. Thirty-one percent said they plan to dine in a restaurant for a Thanksgiving meal because they prefer to not cook a big meal and deal with the cleanup.
In addition to convenience, consumers who plan to dine out for a Thanksgiving meal this year say they will do so because they are traveling and don't have the ability to cook (22%), they prefer to go to restaurants on special occasions (15%), somebody else is hosting and they prefer to dine out (15%), and they don't have enough space to host a Thanksgiving event (12%).
"In today's activity-rich, time-poor society, restaurants play an important role in bringing friends and family together to share a holiday meal for Thanksgiving," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association. "Our research clearly shows that the convenience of restaurant meals—not having to shop, cook and clean up—drives consumer behavior and will lead millions of Americans to patronize restaurants this Thanksgiving."
Survey results also revealed 32 million Americans are expected to dine out while shopping on Black Friday.
"In addition, 20% of adults say they plan to go shopping on Black Friday, Nov. 25, and of those, nearly seven out of 10 plan to visit a restaurant while on their shopping trip," Riehle said. "Savvy diners can also do some holiday shopping while enjoying their restaurant meal by purchasing restaurant gift cards. Our research also shows that restaurant gift certificates top the list of gifts consumers want to receive on special occasions."
