American Diners Are Spending $100 a Week on Restaurants — and Getting Creative to Afford It

On Sep 30, 2026, restaurant technology company Popmenu published a new report on how Americans are coping with the cost of eating out: the average consumer now spends $100 per week on restaurants — up from $90 in February, but still down from $115 in June 2025. Two-thirds of consumers (67%) say they are spending less on restaurants than last year, and they are getting creative to keep dining out anyway [1].

The report draws on six months of national research on 3,000 U.S. consumers, conducted as three anonymous surveys of 1,000 adults each in February, May, and July 2026. Popmenu, which serves more than 12,000 restaurants globally, framed the research as a guide to what guests value and what operators should do about it [1].

How diners are stretching their dollars

When asked how they are keeping restaurant dining affordable, consumers pointed to a familiar toolkit. More than half (52%) are drinking tap water instead of buying a beverage; half are picking up orders more frequently than ordering delivery; 48% use coupons or rewards points; and 47% choose less expensive restaurants. Smaller plates are in play too: 29% order an appetizer instead of a meal, 28% are cutting back on alcohol purchases, and 16% order kids' meals for adults [1].

Dinner is taking the biggest hit among dayparts, with 46% of consumers cutting back on it, followed by lunch at 37%, breakfast at 28%, and late-night snacking at 24%. A majority (60%) of consumers say they are dining out less frequently overall [1].

The tip squeeze

Tipping is also under pressure. Forty percent of consumers say they are tipping less this year, and of those, 78% are cutting back on tips for restaurants and bars. The 20% tip remains the most common at sit-down restaurants with servers (38% tip 20%), but at carryout counters, coffee shops, and fast-food spots, the largest share of tippers now gives less than 10% [1].

What guests want from restaurants

The report also asked what makes consumers choose one restaurant over another. Three factors emerged: visibility, affordability, and being easy to do business with. Eighty percent use Google and other search engines to find restaurants, and 27% use AI tools such as ChatGPT; 94% would rather order from a restaurant's own website than from a third-party service where fees tend to be higher [1].

Value drives spending: 62% prefer restaurants with affordable meal options and special deals, and 58% will spend more if there is a discount. Forty-six percent are more likely to choose restaurants with loyalty programs, and 60% are fine with restaurants using AI to provide better, faster service — from answering phones and taking orders to preparing and serving food [1].

"Around 30% of monthly food budgets go to restaurants today, down from a high of 40% in 2022," said Brendan Sweeney, CEO and co-founder of Popmenu. "What that tells us is consumers are spending intentionally, not reluctantly. Restaurants have pushed menu prices about as far as they can go." [1]

Terms

• Quick service: limited-service restaurants built for speed and low prices (e.g., McDonald's).
• Fast casual: the tier between fast food and casual dining — counter service with higher-quality, often made-to-order food (e.g., Panera).
• Casual dining: full-service, table-service restaurants with moderate prices (e.g., Chili's).

Reported with AI assistance from public sources; reviewed before publication. — Powered by Creytix.