A Taste of Whimsy Flavors the Dining Dash

A new survey shows that time-pressed consumers are increasingly likely to put off decisions on what to have for dinner until the last minute. According to Restaurants & Institutions magazine, 71% of consumers wait until 4 p.m. on weekdays to determine what to eat and where to eat it. Decisions on how to spend the estimated $136 million that consumers drop on dinner each weekday night are made in “an almost whimsical fashion,” said the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Dan Puzo. “For many consumers, dinner is a spur-of-the-moment decision determined by which way their car is heading.” The survey underscores the changing role of restaurants for Americans. “Restaurants used to be for special occasions and entertainment,” said Caitlin Storhaug, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based National Restaurant Assn. “Now, they’re viewed as much more of a time-management tool.” The magazine also notes that consumers are increasingly likely to turn to grocery stores and restaurants for take-out rather than taking time for a sit-down restaurant meal. And, observers said, the last-minute rush to set the dinner table makes effective advertising and marketing even more essential. “If consumers don’t think of you right away, you’re out of the ballgame for that meal,” said Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based market research firm. “And if you don’t have a location real close by, you’re also out of the game.”