Talkin' 'bout Y generation: study reveals eating out habits of 16-24 year olds

A survey of 1,244 UK 16-24 year-olds conducted last month revealed that 94 per cent of young people rate good customer service as the most important consideration when choosing a restaurant. A further 60 per cent said that a bad experience at a restaurant was the result of poor service, and 48 per cent said good service was the thing they loved most about their favourite restaurant.

Price and value for money was also a big factor, with 57 per cent of people saying the cost of a meal contributed to a bad experience, compared to 54 per cent who blamed it on the food. A further 78 per cent said that value for money was what they loved most about their favourite restaurant, second only to ‘tasty food’ at 90 per cent.

The majority (61 per cent) of young people expect to pay between £11 and £20 at a high street restaurant like Pizza Express or Nando’s, while a quarter said they would pay up to £30 a head including drinks.Most (63 per cent) said that discounts and 2-4-1 deals at restaurants remain an important factor when deciding where to eat.

Sharing experiences​

When it comes to convenience, 90 per cent of young people said they would like to be able to view the full menu and prices online, while 72 per cent said that being able to order and pay quickly mattered.

Less than half said they would be influenced by apps that allow you to view free tables or book, and just 22 per cent said they would want to order or pay for food via a digital platform.

Just 28 per cent of young people said they would share their eating out experience on a review site like Tripadvisor or Toptable, but 58 per cent said they were likely to add a mention on Facebook, 47 per cent said they might tweet about it and 56 per cent are likely to take a photo of their meal and post it online.

Asked about their favourite places to eat, Nando’s came out top, while PizzaExpress and Frankie & Benny’s scored highly for restaurants to visit with friends, and McDonald’s and Subway were rated as good places to grab a quick bite

Price-centric​

Commenting on the results, Luke Mitchell, head of insight at Voxburner said: “​We know from previous research that this audience is price-driven and the brands they like tend to be value-centric, so here the restaurant industry is no different."

"Eating out is a grown-up experience for young people and they don’t want to feel intimidated or judged as they begin ordering their own food and paying for it. Which is why customer service is highly important to them and why Nando’s, the king of casual dining and a place you won’t get invited to ‘try the wine’, remains their favourite choice.”

Read the full Voxburner report here​

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