Generation Z Orders Up: Habits of the Newest Restaurant Customer

We’ve experienced a dining revolution in recent years. Smartphone-savvy customers want the ease of ordering food through a mobile app; services like Grubhub and UberEats deliver meals from local restaurants directly to your door; and, companies such as Domino’s are starting to deliver to parks, beaches, and other outdoor hotspots. Much of the industry has embraced technology and created new marketing strategies and business models that match customers’ growing desire for convenience. To remain relevant, however, restaurants need to understand how its newest audience will continue to impact the industry.

The catalyst behind this restaurant revolution is Generation Z, or “Gen Z” – the 85 million Americans born between 1995 and 2010 who not only differ in their communication style, education and social preferences, but also differ dramatically in their dining habits, compared to their predecessors. According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the up-and-coming generation is…