Americans continue to dine out, but they are watching every dollar they spend when they do. The National Restaurant Association’s Q2 2026 Consumer Insights Survey highlights a complex and evolving consumer landscape. For restaurant operators, the findings reveal a balance of resilience and caution: consumers still prioritize dining but are increasingly mindful of how much they spend and where.
Restaurants hold the lead, but behaviors are shifting
New research from the National Restaurant Association shows that 56% of consumers have spent their discretionary money at a restaurant recently, versus less than 25% who did the same for apparel, entertainment, or electronics.
That dominance comes with an asterisk, however. Consumers’ restaurant usage remained fairly steady, with 80% of all adults visiting an establishment in Q2, up 1% from Q1. Nearly 40% of consumers said they are visiting restaurants less than they did three months ago, compared to 24% who visited more.
In the second quarter, 56% of consumers said they dined at a restaurant in the past week, half ordered takeout or delivery, and 39% purchased a coffee or snack. Dining frequency increased modestly, with the share eating out rising 4 percentage points from the first quarter, while coffee and snack purchases edged down by 2 points.
Trading down, not dropping out
Consumers are pulling back on restaurant spending, with 36% reporting spending less than the prior quarter. Value-driven behavior is increasing, with more diners trading down by ordering fewer add-ons and choosing less expensive options.
Thirty-five percent said they are ordering fewer add-on items, like desserts or drinks, than they usually do, a 3% increase from Q1. And 34% said they are visiting less expensive restaurants than they usually do, a 2% increase from the first quarter.
That pattern is consistent with what the NRA’s own research suggests: among consumers reducing restaurant spending, most do not abandon their preferred spots. Instead, they make smaller concessions, using more promotions, ordering fewer items, or choosing less expensive dishes. Industry analysis from Revenue Management Solutions similarly finds that loyalty to familiar restaurants holds even as individual check sizes shrink.
Younger diners lead engagement but feel the pinch most
Engagement remains particularly strong among younger consumers. According to Revenue Management Solutions’ consumer research, more than half of Gen Z respondents qualify as “frequent users,” visiting restaurants five or more times per week.
Younger adults face the sharpest financial tension: nearly half (47%) report that they regularly outspend their income. That strain shapes the trade-down pattern: Gen Z is dining out in high numbers but squeezing each visit harder, consistent with data showing that more than half of Americans now budget their spending, with covering essentials cited as the top reason.
Meanwhile, research from Revenue Management Solutions points to a generational dynamic worth noting for operators. While many demographics are tightening their wallets, Gen Z is proving to be an outlier. More than 75% of Gen Z respondents report using dine-in at least once a week. Nearly half of Gen Z respondents say they are spending more at restaurants than a year ago, the highest share of any generation.
Full-price sit-down dining, it seems, functions as a social ritual for this cohort even as their wallets tighten.
What diners actually want at the table
Qualitative research consistently shows that the decision to eat out has shifted from automatic habit to considered occasion. Among consumers who felt dining out was not worth the money, the leading grievances were food quality and portion size, not price alone.
The broader picture is one of a dining culture under pressure but not in retreat. Americans are still choosing the restaurant table over the clothing rack or the cinema, but they are arriving with sharper expectations and a closer eye on the check. Underlying pressures, from elevated living costs to geopolitical uncertainty, continue to shape spending behavior, even as consumers still prioritize dining. That calculus, according to the National Restaurant Association, is the defining dynamic restaurants will need to navigate through the rest of 2026.
Those tightened budgets have a broader context too: US shoppers made 7% fewer purchases in the first half of 2026 but spent 8% more per transaction, a squeeze felt from the grocery aisle to the dining room.
