Food-for-one restaurant dining on the rise
Fast-casual restaurants are seeing the most traffic among solo eaters with parties of one making up 89 percent of visits
It’s a party of one.
More restaurants are seeing a surge in solo diners above any other party size, according to a new report by market research firm NPD Group. And more single dining concepts and chefs are catering to the growing trend in fast-casual and full-service meal formats.
Solo diners represented 35 percent of restaurant visits in the last year, according to new data from the NPD group.
Solo diners represented 35 percent of restaurant visits in the last year. To compare, parties of two made up 27 percent; parties of three comprised 14 percent and parties of four made up 12 percent. Tables of five or more represented 13 percent of restaurant visits, according to the report.
Fast-casual restaurants are seeing the most traffic among solo eaters with parties of one making up 89 percent of visits, while 10 percent of lone eaters are dining at full-service restaurants. Lunch is the most popular meal eaten alone (48 percent) followed by breakfast (29 percent) and dinner (22 percent).
Industry analysts attribute the trend to consumers looking for convenience and quick service when it comes to eating out.
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"My best advice for restaurants is to acknowledge that they have more solo diners as customers and accommodate them," David Portalatin, NPD food industry adviser and author of "Eating Patterns in America," said in a statement. "They are looking for convenient and quick meal options and if eating on-premise, they may want single seating areas. In other words, solo diners are a large customer group so make them feel welcome."
Outside of fast-casual, a growing number of diners have made reservations for one in previous years. A separate study from the restaurant reservation platform OpenTable found that between 2013 and 2015, bookings for solo diners increased by 62 percent.
And more restaurant chains are capitalizing on the trend. Japanese chain Ikinari steak made its U.S. debut in 2017 serving up affordable ribeyes, sirloins and filets for diners who eat while standing up -- an ideal ambiance for a party of one. Others, like ramen eatery Ichiran, boast booth-like seating for solo diners to eat without any distraction. Last year, Michelin-star chef Anita Lo put out a cookbook devoted to making meals for one, empowering solo eaters to practice self-care in the kitchen.
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The solo dining trend continues as fewer Americans get married. The U.S. Census reported 45.2 percent of the adult population was unmarried in 2017 whereas 72 percent of Americans were married in 1960.