A significant shift in the dining out customer base has taken place over the last several years. Baby boomers and seniors have become, according to consumer research recently released by the Chicago-based NPD Group, an increasingly larger part of the dining out market. The reasons are several. In addition to their demographic dominance, boomers are at the peak of...
The NPD Group reports that restaurant usage by older diners has increased by 6 percent since 2008
A significant shift in the dining out customer base has taken place over the last several years. Baby boomers and seniors have become, according to consumer research recently released by the Chicago-based NPD Group, an increasingly larger part of the dining out market.
The reasons are several. In addition to their demographic dominance, boomers are at the peak of their earning power and have plenty of disposable income.
At the same time younger diners, financially battered by the recession, are finding themselves paycheck-challenged and thus forced to cut back on restaurant visits.
In a recent study, the NPD Group reports that restaurant usage by older diners has increased by 6 percent since 2008; frequency of visits by younger patrons has dropped by an equal amount.
It's perhaps time, then, for restaurants to think about repositioning themselves to better serve "55-plus" patrons.
One obvious area is in menu offerings. Though today's boomers might be interested in exotic flavors and ingredients, they are also health-conscious. Chefs therefore need to whenever possible reign in their use of salt and fat, components too often overused in restaurant cooking.
Portion sizes are another area that can be reworked to appeal to older diners. Smart operators need to begin thinking in terms of a range of portion sizes in order to best meet the needs of graying patrons.
Lighting, graphics, and typefaces are also important; all three should be optimized so older diners can easily read signs and menu materials.
A less obvious, but just as salient, tweak of dining out environments is noise mitigation. Older customers often are plagued by subtle forms of hearing loss that make noisy environments uncomfortable and conversation difficult.
Carpeting, drapery, table linen, and appropriate ceiling treatments can do a lot to dampen the background noise in busy dining spaces.
Social sensitivity on the part of restaurant employees is another subtle yet critical way to cater to a mature clientele. Older diners definitely prefer more traditional conventions of social interaction. They often bristle with annoyance, for instance, when greeted with a hipster-style "you guys."
A simple "sir" or "ma'am" is much more to the silver generation's liking.
Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College's hospitality and culinary arts program and has over 35 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 2350, Springfield, MA 01102; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.