Ordering Out on the Grow for Thanksgiving

More and more consumers are ordering out from restaurants for their Thanksgiving feasts, but economic unease has them cutting back on their spending, regardless of whether they are relying on a restaurant or cooking at home. Those are among the major  findings of a recent survey of 1000 U.S. residents aged 18 and up by restaurant-tech provider PopMenu.

Specifically, the PopMenu study found just over half the respondents (53%) plan to order takeout or delivery from restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner, up from 37% in 2024 and 32% in 2023. Another 5% expect to dine in person at a restaurant on Thanksgiving, which is roughly the same as last year and below a high of 17% in 2023, as more consumers opt for comforts of home.

“What we hear from Thanksgiving hosts every year is a growing desire to spend more time visiting with guests and enjoying the holiday than sweating in the kitchen,” said Brendan Sweeney, CEO and Co-founder of Popmenu. “This year’s study also shows elevated concern over household economics—causing consumers to cut back on some holiday favorites, hunt for special deals from restaurants and adopt other strategies to keep expenses in check.”

A majority of consumers (59%) plan to reduce their spend on Thanksgiving dinner this year compared to 2024. On average, they expect to spend $165.

Here are some of the major factors behind the shift from home-cooked to restaurant-made:

• 63% want to enjoy the holiday and not worry about cooking
• 40% believe it’s cheaper or costs about the same to buy all the ingredients and cook at home
• 35% don’t want the hassle of buying the ingredients and cooking themselves
• 26% would rather have a professionally cooked meal
• 19% are too busy to prepare a meal or dish

And here are the top reasons consumers are cutting back on what they plan to spend for the holiday meal:

• 69 % say groceries have become too expensive
• 58% say their household budget is tighter
• 31% say they are being more conservative with finances due to inflation and concerns over the economy

Finally, to manage Thanksgiving expenses, respondents said they are taking the following actions:

• 39% plan to reduce the number of side dishes and desserts they serve
• 33% are celebrating the holiday with fewer people
• 31% are buying less-expensive brands of food and beverages
• 29% are asking guests to bring a dish
• 26% are choosing recipes with fewer or cheaper ingredients
• 19% are serving a less expensive main dish

Click here for more from the PopMenu survey, which was fielded Nob. 17-18.