Report: People spending more money at restaurants than at grocery store

Listen live at 10:35 a.m.: Is it cheaper to eat out than it is to buy groceries?

 

SALT LAKE CITY — People are spending more money at restaurants than at the grocery store, according to a recent report by Axios. 

Dave Noriega and guest host Maura Carabello dive into why society hates cooking so much. Or it is a matter of our habits having changed since the pandemic?

The report states consumers spend $130 at restaurants for every $100 spent at the grocery store.

Melva Sine, of the Utah Restaurant Association, joins the show to help make sense of all of this.

Noriega begins the conversation by asking, “Are we spending more money at restaurants because prices are higher or are we eating out more?”

“It takes 21 days to make a new habit,” Sine said. “And people were in their homes (during the pandemic) a lot longer than 21 days. So, new habits were formed. And the restaurant industry has benefited from that.”

Still feeling impact of inflation and pandemic

Sine is quick to point out that the restaurant industry is also feeling the impact of inflation.

“But at the same time, things were much more expensive for us in the restaurant industry,” she said. “So yeah, everyone is having to raise prices, it’s just who’s raising prices quicker?”

She says the restaurant industry is still being impacted by the pandemic.

“Restaurants still haven’t totally recovered from the pandemic,” Sine said. “In terms of employment, in terms of supply chain and inflation.”

Carabello asked, “Are you tracking at all whether we’re eating inside restaurants or taking things to go like we did in COVID?”

With third-party delivery companies, Sine says that taking food to go is still popular. However, she acknowledges the in-restaurant experience is making a comeback.

“But we are seeing more people getting back out into the restaurants themselves,” she said. “Because we’re a social people.”

Listen to the entire segment.

 

Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.  

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