Restaurants Win on Experience, Home Wins on Value

Consumers have a clear and consistent reason to visit a restaurant: they want something they cannot get at home.

According to Datassential’s Pantry Priorities & Plate Disruptors report, consumers are 3.3 times more likely to eat global cuisines away from home than at home, 2.9 times more likely to celebrate special occasions at foodservice venues, and 2.8 times more likely to try new foods when dining out.

These findings reinforce foodservice’s role as a destination for discovery, indulgence, and memorable experiences.

Taste remains the leading driver of away-from-home dining across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with convenience ranking second. In fact, 59% of consumers say they enjoy both the food and overall experience of eating away from home more than eating at home.

At home, the calculus flips. Consumers are 4.2 times more likely to eat healthy foods at home than away from home, and price is the dominant reason they cook instead of dining out, cited by 54% of breakfast makers, 60% of lunch makers, and 59% of dinner makers. They are also 5.1 times more likely to eat a late-night snack at home and 4.9 times more likely to eat while doing something else.

That dynamic extends to snacking occasions as well. Consumers are 3.9 times more likely to have a mid-morning snack at home and 3.8 times more likely to eat at a regular mealtime at home than away from home.

Despite foodservice’s advantage in delivering experiences, at-home eating continues to dominate overall meal occasions. Home-sourced meals account for 72% of all eating occasions, unchanged from 2024. While away-from-home sourcing is gaining slight momentum at breakfast and lunch, the home kitchen remains the primary venue for meal consumption by a wide margin.