2025
9
US Family Dining Trends Report 2025
2025-12-23T10:01:33+00:00
REP4927241B_5014_48A0_BC5D_4423E9B9E8B3
4995
189933
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Report
en_GB
73% of parents (of children under 18) are open to kids taking the lead when dining out, and over a…
US
Foodservice
simple

US Family Dining Trends Report 2025

"Families are seeking restaurants that satisfy multiple individual tastes, enable healthy, affordable eating, and offer space for real connection as a family."

Varchasvi, Research Analyst

Varchasvi, Research Analyst

Market Intelligence ReportsFoodserviceUS

US Family Dining Trends and Insights

  • 73% of parents (of children under 18) are open to kids taking the lead when dining out, and over a third of kids already order food online themselves. This increasing autonomy means restaurant marketing must reassure parents on health and safety, while also appealing to kids with cues they recognize, like pop culture or gaming tie-ins.
  • Healthy choices remain a top priority and a key factor in restaurant selection, yet many parents say menus fall short. Kid-friendly dining ambiance is another pain point, and many believe kids’ menu items aren’t worth the price. These gaps signal opportunities for innovation – both in experience and menu items – especially as younger parents’ preferences, like Gen Z’s snacking habits, shape how their children eat.
  • At the same time, tight budgets and varied tastes complicate the current perception of value in foodservice. Families rely on restaurants not just for celebrations but for everyday dining and convenience, so designing menus that feel relevant and offer value while meeting unique family needs is critical. Operators that balance affordability, health, and family-friendly experiences will be best positioned to retain this important segment.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • How families are dining today
  • Decision-making dynamics at mealtimes
  • What families want from restaurants
  • Challenges parents face in family dining
  • New offerings that are capturing kids’ attention
  • Sentiment and satisfaction around family meals

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Market predictions
    • Opportunities
    • Design spaces and menus for low-stress dining
    • Three priorities for enabling quality time in family dining
    • Align tech-driven fun with parent-approved choices
    • Graph 1: interest in various promotions and offerings, 2025
    • Future-proof family dining with pop culture, personalization, and seamless ordering

  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Convenience drives the shift toward takeout and delivery
    • Graph 2: typical restaurant dining behavior, 2025
    • Graph 3: families’ restaurant ordering in the past three months, by method, 2025
    • Dining rooms are shrinking
    • Food AFH is expensive, but may offer a necessary compromise for families
    • Graph 4: Consumer Price Index for all Urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted – food AH and AFH, 2024-25
    • Family dining is about connection

  3. CONSUMER INSIGHTS

    • Who makes the call, and how much sway do kids have?
    • Parents decide on meals, but kids’ hold influence on dining out]
    • Parents decide on meals, but kids’ hold influence on dining out
    • Families want food that works every day
    • Graph 5: family dining behaviors, 2025
    • What drives restaurant choice?
    • Healthy options matter most to families
    • Graph 6: factors important when choosing a restaurant, ranked, 2025
    • Family dining forces a tradeoff between health and ease
    • Graph 7: select factors when choosing a restaurant – any rank, by number of children under 18 in household, 2025
    • Use family-friendly bundles to bridge the health-value gap
    • Graph 8: select attitudes – value and nutrition in family dining – any agree, 2025
    • Gen Z is making snacking a part of family dining
    • Graph 9: select factors when choosing a restaurant – any rank, by generation, 2025
    • Where are the friction points?
    • Kid-friendly dining is hard to find
    • Graph 10: aspects that seem challenging when ordering from restaurants, 2025
    • Bridging kids’ and parents’ dining preferences is harder for Gen X
    • Graph 11: aspects that seem challenging when ordering from restaurants, 2025
    • Families want value and quality in kids’ menu items
    • Graph 12: kids’ menu items – price perception, 2025
    • Simplicity and adventure can coexist on kids’ menus
    • Graph 13: select attitudes – kids’ menu items, 2025

  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

    • Restaurant design will be a key driver of family loyalty
    • Online and AI-enabled ordering will require new safeguards for families
    • Elaborate, thoughtfully-curated kids’ menus will appeal
    • QSR LTOs go all in on character merchandise
    • Family bundles remain a key lever to pull, especially around the holidays
    • Cuisine exploration can be a shared family experience
    • Mintel Spark: ideas for elevated, innovative kids’ menus

  5. APPENDIX

    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Generations
    • Abbreviations and terms

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