Diner Demographics: A Matter Of R-E-S-P-E-C-T

With numbers, money and clout, the baby-boom generation still commands attention.

By Scott Hume, Associate Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 6/1/2007

Forget the Summer of Love, communes and “peace and brotherhood”: baby boomers are less likely than members of any other generation to want to share or split an entrée with a dinner companion. Order your own linguine with clam sauce.

That morsel of insight from R&I’s New American Diner (NAD) Study is offered as proof that, unlikely as it seems, there still may be a few things to learn about baby boomers, the most thoroughly analyzed demographic group in modern history. The roughly 75 million Americans born between the triumphant end of World War II and the tragic end of the Kennedy administration have wielded supersized socioeconomic influence during their journey from infancy to adulthood and into middle age.

But boomer eating habits are not changing as dramatically as one might expect. Boomers are more likely than members of generations Y or X to say they are “making a sustained effort to eat healthy” when they dine out, but they are less likely than younger diners to say they seek out menus that highlight healthful offerings. The percentage of boomers who say they are dieting is neither above nor below average. Recent research suggests that boomers may be less physically fit in their 50s than their parents were.

They are the least inclined to agree that they would dine out more often if more-healthful meals were offered.

Boomers are eating more fish and salads, but burgers, fried chicken and pizza still taste darned good to them, too. About 23% say they visit quick-service restaurants once a week. That’s only slightly lower than for members of Gen Y (26.1%) and Gen X (26.7%).

Boomers like variety and like to experiment: They are least likely to say they have a favorite dish that they usually order. They also are most inclined to have a side salad or a side dish with their entrée.

A Woman’s Worth

Their minds often less cluttered with sports trivia than are men’s, women’s buying habits are more changeable as they age. In “Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer—the Baby-Boomer Woman” (American Management Association, 2006), Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn offer four key observations. Possible connections to foodservice marketing are added.

• She is loyal to companies, not brands. “They pay attention to a company’s reputation, especially in terms of community involvement and social responsibility.” Think sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly packaging.
• She is technologically savvy. “Don’t assume that just because a woman is older she doesn’t use the Internet.” Think online reservations and takeout ordering.
• She still feels young. “Most boomer women see themselves as a decade younger than they are.” Think colorful cocktails.
• She wants to be empowered. “Age doesn’t define life stage for a boomer woman, who may be an empty-nester, a doting grandmother, a small-business entrepreneur and a dating single—all at the same time.” Think. Don’t make easy assumptions.