In business, like all other industries, consumer trends ebb and flow. Right now, there’s a new fad that has taken over and changed the landscape of the restaurant sector…

And it’s dining solo. 

The Rise Of Dining Solo

In the past few years, more and more people are making restaurant reservations for one… 

ESSENTIALLY DINING SOLO HAS EXPLODED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  

In the United States, dining solo has increased by 28% over the past two years. 

But it’s not just an anomaly here in the U.S…

Solo dining is picking up steam all over the world.

In the UK, solo dining has risen 14%, and in Germany it rose 18%. 

Japan is another country with a high population of individuals who prefer dining alone…

With 23% of the population actively solo dining. 

But what was the catalyst that got more and more people going to restaurants in a party of one?

Well, experts believe there are a few reasons for the change…

One of them is that the pandemic got people a lot more accustomed to eating in public without socializing with other people…

Similarly, the rise of remote work could’ve contributed to this fad, especially with people wanting to leave their home offices while still completing their daily tasks.

HOWEVER, A LARGE CONTRIBUTOR TO DINING SOLO IS THAT LIVING SOLO HAS ALSO BEEN ON THE RISE. 

In the United States, 38% of adults ages 25-54 were living without partners, up from 29% in 1990. The same increase has also been observed in Japan, where people who live alone make up one-third of the country’s population. 

With the rise of dining solo…

How have restaurants been accommodating to this new trend?

Restaurant Reactions

So far, most restaurants are split regarding the fad…

And it makes sense, some smaller restaurants don’t want to give up a table to a solo diner when they could give it to a party of two or more. 

HOWEVER, OTHER RESTAURANTS WELCOME THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DINING SOLO WITH OPEN ARMS. 

To them, it’s a part of a long-term investment…

Anyone dining solo is more likely to be a loyal repeat customer, which is more important to restaurant owners in the long run. 

For restaurants who are welcoming parties of one, they’ve started to make changes to their table layouts and menus to accommodate the diners. 

Ultimately, inflation shot up the price of eating out so much that diners are more likely to spend more eating a nice meal at a restaurant…

Than eating fast food…

And solo dining is a large part of this return to sit-down dining. 

Be Great, 

GCTV Staff

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