Sorry all you Gen Xers who feel left out of restaurant-trend discussions. Nation’s Restaurant News senior food editor Bret Thorn felt slighted, so he smacked down Millennials in a Dec. 8 article. His point was, Millennials don’t have two nickels to rub together, so why do restaurants and food manufacturers court them? Where’s the love for his Generation X demographic group, who happen to have decent jobs and deeper pockets?
I discovered what’s wrong with Gen X while poring over consumer research data related to the Mindful Dining: How Consumers’ Values Influence Their Menu Choices consumer research report soon to be released by the Culinary Visions® Panel, Chicago. Gen X (defined as ages 37-49) is boring. They have no distinctive characteristics in terms of attitudes, opinions or values. They are not above or below average in their interest in or tendency toward any thoughts or products. They are non-descript. There’s nothing written about them in trend reports because there is not a single Gen X restaurant trend. Sorry.
Millennials truly steal the show. It’s not my generation, but if I was starting or redoing a restaurant, I’d be focused on them, sure as anything. I’d also make sure that whatever restaurant I was championing was of the fast-casual variety. Millennials and those who visit fast casuals are one in the same when it comes to attitudes and values. But to make my generational point, let me compare Millennials and Gen X in a few key areas:
- 52% of Millennials have eaten at a fast-casual restaurant in the past 30 days compared to 44% of Gen X.
- 28% of Millennials trust social media when they want to learn about a restaurant’s reputation compared to 18% of Gen X.
- 78% of Millennials care about ordering protein that is sustainably raised or caught compared to 66% of Gen X.
- 72% of Millennials prefer to order menu items that are organic compared to 57% of Gen X.
- 30% of Millennials always like to try new dishes and flavors compared to 19% of Gen X.
- Millennials are the biggest purchasers from in-store delis and convenience stores. 41% have purchased food from an in-store deli in the past 30 days, compared to 34% of Gen X, and 36% of Millennials have purchased food from a c-store compared to 24% of Gen X.
Lest I cover Gen Xers with comparisons, the gap between their attitudes, values and behaviors and that of Millennials isn’t as wide as the gap between Millennials and Baby Boomers. That difference in thinking and values is mind-blowing. (You’ll have to order the report to see what I’m talking about.)
But as for the financial affairs of Millennials, don’t let anyone tell you they don’t have enough money to eat out. While common reason would lead some to conclude that Baby Boomers are the group to target because they are so well established financially and thus have more purchasing power, they aren’t spending that money on eating out like Millennials are. Remember that 52% of Millennials have eaten out in the past month at a fast-casual restaurant. Only 28% of Baby Boomers have. And what about the more expensive casual-dining segment? While 53% of Baby Boomers have eaten at a casual-dining restaurant in the past 30 days, 71% of Millennials have. Millennials have credit cards too, you know.
Tell me what you think.
Jody
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