Special Report: 21 Diners, 21 Days

R&I asked 21 people to record their dining habits over 21 days to gain insights about how and where real people eat and factors that affect their daily dining decisions.

By Derek Gale, Associate Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 4/1/2007

21 Diners, 21 Days No operator knows the name of every customer, but successful ones know that each person who enters has not only a name but also a distinct set of dining preferences and habits. Hospitality is making each guest feel he or she has been treated as an individual.

Consumer research is indispensable to understanding these customers, but it can lose sight of the human element, grouping individuals as percentages and focusing on patterns rather than particulars. To get around that, R&I tried a different approach, recruiting 21 diners in the Chicago area to keep detailed diaries of all the meals and snacks they ate—and where they ate them—over a 21-day period (Jan. 8 to Jan. 28, 2007). For their participation, these 21 people—representing both genders and a variety of ages, races, occupations and household incomes—were provided a small monetary incentive. (See list of participants at bottom of page.)

What these 21 diners wrote down is by no means definitive or comprehensive. But it does illustrate on a very personal level how foodservice connects with real people’s lives. And it’s always fun to peek in someone else’s diary.

The Meaning of Mealtimes

People eat in ways that are most convenient for them, from two-minute breakfasts to leisurely lunches; from skipped meals to family dinners. Some grab snacks in the afternoon; for others, hunger pangs strike at night. Despite these differences, however, there are commonalities.

While all but one of the 21 diners reported eating at restaurants once per week or more, on average they appear not to be overly adventurous or social in the morning: 59% of breakfast occasions took place at home, while 26% opted to forgo a morning meal all together. And with two-thirds of our diners working full time, it came as no surprise that convenience/speed was the most important factor in choosing their breakfast location 59% of the time, and that regardless of where they ate breakfast, a majority dined alone.

Nearly one-third (30%) of those who ate away from home spent $5 or more on breakfast, a decent sum that helps explain why quick- and casual-service brands are battling for larger shares of consumer breakfast dollars.

At lunch, the sandwich reigns supreme, also perhaps a function of the importance service time plays in choosing where to eat. More than twice as many lunch diners chose sandwiches over soup, which was the next most popular type of midday meal.

No one’s lunch lasted more than one hour, regardless of where eaten. Certainly contributing to this is that 36% of those eating lunch at a restaurant chose quick-service outlets, and 57% dined alone. Only one of our diners, Jonathan E., said time was not a significant factor in his lunchtime decision. Of course, he owns his own company.

"If it takes an hour, that’s fine," he says. "Even a little over an hour is fine." But more than that would be too much for him, he says. "An hour and a half is too long unless it’s a business lunch."

Two-thirds of all dinners over the 21 days were eaten at home, with average meal prep time of 30 minutes. Dinner with a spouse, partner or family was most common, yet only a quarter of those eating out said they did so to spend time with family members. This is in contrast to the more comprehensive R&I New American Diner Study (with nearly 3,500 respondents), in which 53% of people say they eat dinner in a restaurant because they like to share this meal with family or friends.

Among the 21 diners, independent restaurants got the most business, edging out quick-service establishments. The most common food choice was the patriotic if unspecific "American," consisting of chicken, steak or pork. Only a few adventuresome diners occasionally tried something new; most preferred to stick with familiar foods and restaurants. Perhaps for that reason, diners generally were satisfied with their restaurant experiences, but few were truly wowed.

Here are a few of the 21 diners’ stories:

Sylvia M.

A 25-year-old database administrator, Sylvia M. is married, has no children, and "all I do is work," she says. Sylvia usually skips breakfast or eats something small at home, because she doesn’t have time for more. Lunch is usually yogurt or soup—"something I can eat at my desk," she says.

Dinner depends: If Sylvia arrives home before her husband, she’ll cook, or vice versa. When they arrive home at the same time or don’t feel like cooking, they’ll pick something up or go out.

On weekends, Sylvia doesn’t cook at all. "That’s when most of our friends are off," she says, "so we go out."

For Sylvia, one of the most important aspects of food is freshness, which she says often is apparent in the way food looks and the way it tastes.

Sarah D.

Sarah D., 27, is a part-time administrative assistant at a law firm with a 1-year-old daughter. Sarah got up at 5 a.m. on the first of the 21 days, and by 9:30 a.m., she was hungry. She wanted a Whopper from Burger King that morning, but because it was only serving breakfast, she chose to skip the meal. "I don’t really like fast-food breakfast for some reason," she says. "For breakfast I would rather sit down at a nicer place and order something not processed."

Despite that stated preference, Sarah frequently eats fast food during other dayparts, although she says the food only rarely is excellent and drive-thru service is never the friendliest.

"I usually eat fast food because it is convenient and quick, and I can’t afford to sit down at a nice place every time," she says. "Eating is not my favorite thing to do … it’s kind of a chore for me, so the simpler the better."

Sometimes she bypasses meals all together, as she did for almost one week at lunch: "I skip a lot of meals because I am busy with my daughter and other things," she says. "But I do snack when there are good things in my house to snack on." Chips and string cheese are among her favorites.

In total, Sarah says she probably eats out six to eight times a month, and usually has her daughter with her. When it’s just her and her husband, she says they opt for more upscale places, without being too adventurous. "I would like to try new places, but it is just easier to go to the ones you know sometimes," she says.

Annette A.

Annette A. is a 39-year-old nurse who works from home. Because of that, she usually eats breakfast and lunch at home, occasionally grabbing lunch at a quick-service restaurant because it’s fast.

Dinner plans usually are made at the last minute, she says, except on Fridays, when she and her husband eat at a favorite local restaurant, Pita Inn. Their choices for dining out are somewhat limited, Annette says, because her Muslim husband has dietary restrictions (specifically he eats only halal meat). For that reason, and because the couple has a 5-month-old child, it’s often easier to eat at home, she says.

Still, the two enjoy various types of food, with Persian, burgers and fries and Mexican among their favorites, Annette adds. Her biggest frustration with dining out is that "it’s hard to find fast food that’s healthy," she says. "They don’t have drive-thru Persian."

Peg B.

A financial controller, Peg B., 52, says, "Lunch is on the run—never a sit down." Peg prefers to snack throughout the day rather than eat the traditional three meals: "I don’t like sitting around just eating," she says. "I feel like it is a waste of time." For that reason, she seldom stops in a restaurant for a snack, saying, "I would only do so to meet a friend."

For dinner each night, it’s up to her husband to determine whether they’ll eat at home and what they’ll have, she says. "He is the cook: so when he feels like cooking we eat at home, and when he does not, we go out or carry in."

When they do go out, "convenience is important," Peg says, "because I drive far to work, and the last thing I want to do is get back into my car and drive far to a restaurant."

Pamela B.

Pamela B. is a 53-year-old part-time substitute teacher, married with two children. She eats very differently on days she works, she says, because she has less time for breakfast and lunch. That often means grabbing something in the morning as she’s on the way out the door, and eating a quick, light lunch from home during the day. "There’s not a lot of time to eat, so that limits the amount of food you can take," Pamela says.

When she works, she has less time to cook, so sometimes Pamela brings in fast food for dinner. When she has a day off, she’ll sometimes call a friend and go out for breakfast or lunch.

Working or not, Pamela does try to have a family dinner most nights. It may be as simple as pizza or hot dogs brought in, but "we try to eat together four to five times a week," she says. And in most cases, "at least one of the kids will be there."

Pamela says the family does not often go out to upscale dinners, because of the expense and because her husband has limited interest. In fact, asked about her most memorable meal during one week, Pamela noted that she "did not do any major eating out at a good restaurant" that week.

As for favorite types of food, "We’re meat eaters," Pamela says, and her kids love pizza. She also enjoys various types of seafood, but usually only eats it at restaurants because her family prefers meat, she says.

Finally, the family is becoming more health-conscious, she notes, so she grills and broils more often than she fries foods. All of them are mindful of preparation methods when eating out.

Wardell B.

A 34-year-old mortgage broker who lives alone, Wardell B. sometimes has his 4-year-old son with him. "With my son, it makes a lot of difference [where I go to eat]," he says. "If I don’t have my son, it’s much easier—I know what I want to eat." But the youngster isn’t the only one who influences dining decisions: "If I’m with my lady friend, that might persuade me also," he says.

Wardell notes that he’s been trying to eat more meals at home because he feels they are healthier and less expensive. When he does go out, he prefers a casual place such as Applebee’s or Ruby Tuesday over a QSR, he says: "People say fast food has more chemicals and more additives."

If a restaurant serves good-quality food, convenience is less important, Wardell says, noting that he doesn’t mind driving a half hour or so to nearby suburbs for good food. "A place called Big Bowl is one of my favorites," he says. Before he started cooking more often, he tried to go there two or three times a month, he adds.

Michael A.

Michael A., 46, an accountant, is married with three children. He strives to balance family life with his career: "Working long hours, I try to spend time with the family by sitting down for dinner," he explains. "We try to fit the eating schedule with the family as much as possible."

Michael says his wife usually handles cooking so that he can spend time with his children after work. He also notes that his kids are picky eaters, and says that if he tries to cook, they usually don’t eat what he makes.

The family doesn’t go out to eat much because the kids get antsy and because the cost of feeding a family of five adds up.

His children prefer to eat at home anyway, he notes: "The kids aren’t big restaurant people. They want to eat and get back to their video games."

When they do go out, it’s usually to familiar, family-oriented places where kids can be kids, he says: "We pick noisier places where children fit in."

Dave D.

A retired U.S. Postal Service employee, Dave D., 57, fills his days doing "whatever my wife tells me to do." Some of that includes work around the house, running errands and babysitting for his grandson. He tends to fit in lunch each day whenever he gets hungry, usually seeing what’s in the house and determining what he is hungry for. "I might have the same thing twice in a row," he says, "but I do try to spread it out."

For dinner, "I like to do things on the grill a lot," he says, noting that grilling also makes his wife happy, as it relieves her of the cooking reponsibilities.

He cites convenience as a reason for eating at home instead of restaurants, but says that if he found a place he liked that was close to home and offered a little bit of everything, he might eat out more than a few times a month. Price is less of a concern, he says: "I don’t mind paying if it’s good."

As for his favorite foods, Dave is a meat lover, especially pork chops and steak. And while he often cooks them on the grill at home, he says he is happy to pay $25 or $30 at a restaurant for a good filet.

Dave was especially impressed by the food and service he had at the Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa on a recent vacation in Reno, Nev. "Even in the coffee shop, it was like everybody in the whole organization went to customer training school," he says. "They were on it, and I was really impressed." He says if local places offered the same type of service, he probably would go out more often.

Jonathan E.

Jonathan E., 49, is president of his own contracting firm. He says that because of work, it’s not convenient for him to eat lunch at home. Since he prefers not to bring his lunch, he often eats out during the week. He tries to avoid quick-service restaurants, opting more often for fast-casual concepts. "I try to have some semihealthy meal for lunch," he says. "I eat salads pretty often."

Jonathan is married with two young children, and when the family eats at home, he usually cooks. But his family often eats out, at "places where we get in, eat, leave and get the kids to bed."

He adds: "If I work late, we’ll try to go to a restaurant that’s a little faster. With young kids, it’s not worth it to go to a restaurant where we’ll pay $20 or $30 for an entrée, plus places like that typically don’t have kids meals. Also, the noise level of a restaurant is important because, while our kids are not noisy, they’re not quiet. We try to be considerate of other people in a restaurant."

It’s a different story when it’s date night for Jonathan and his wife. "If we go out with another couple, just my wife and I, then it’s worth it to go to a nice place," he says. "I like to read restaurant reviews. If we find a place within a half hour of home, we might try a place."

Jonathan, who is Chinese, also notes that his family often eats ethnic food. "A bowl of rice and something is fine," he says. But at the same time, "I’ll eat just about anything. I’m pretty adventurous. If there’s something that looks interesting that I haven’t had before, I’ll order it."

He says his wife usually orders items that she’s had before, but that the children will try different things: "My kids are good eaters—they’ll eat anything we put in front of them."