Popmenu’s annual study on Thanksgiving dining trends shows a number of consumers are going to leave the cooking to the professionals, but prefer to eat at home. This year, 37% of consumers reported that they plan to order takeout or delivery from restaurants for their Thanksgiving dinner, up from 32% last year. Another 5% plan to dine at a restaurant on Thanksgiving, down from 17% last year.
When asked how much they anticipate they will spend on Thanksgiving dinner for themselves and their guests, the average amount was $170.
Popmenu works with more than 10,000 restaurants across the U.S. The company surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers from November 17 to November 18, 2024.
Why consumers are opting to hang up their aprons
Consumers are leaning on restaurants to supply their entire meal or certain dishes this Turkey Day, pointing to convenience, cost, and quality of food.
- 75% think it’s just easier
- 32% say it’s cheaper or costs around the same as buying all the ingredients to cook at home
- 23% are too tired to cook
- 22% prefer to have a professionally cooked meal
What they’re serving
When it comes to the main course, it’s no surprise that 87% of consumers will serve turkey. Ham is the second most popular choice at 39%.
Favorite side dishes that will likely appear on this year’s table, according to consumers:
- 68% – Stuffing
- 60% – Mashed potatoes
- 42% – Mac ‘n cheese
- 42% – Sweet potatoes
- 41% – Green beans
- 39% – Cranberry sauce
- 31% – Cornbread
- 29% – Corn
When asked if they ever ate fast food for Thanksgiving, nearly one-third of consumers (31%) said yes.
Popmenu offers the following tips for consumers who haven’t finalized dining plans yet:
- Scope out options. Check out preferred restaurants’ websites for full menus, promotional offers, photos and reviews of dishes, portion sizes, allergens and more. You can also get a sense of the cost for your party size.
- Order NOW and order direct. Many restaurants feature limited-time menus with all the Thanksgiving fixings for a special price. Order directly from the restaurant’s website ASAP to secure your order and preferred pickup time…and avoid third-party fees.
- Keep tabs on reservation openings. Reservation sites like OpenTable can keep you posted on what’s available in your area with automated alerts.
“Ordering in or dining out for Thanksgiving is becoming a new tradition for consumers who just want to relax and enjoy a meal vs. serving as the family chef for the day,” said Brendan Sweeney, CEO and Co-founder of Popmenu. “Restaurants have seen $10,000 or even $50,000 in Thanksgiving pre-orders. Although it’s tougher to book something the week of Thanksgiving, there are still restaurants out there who are taking orders and reservations. Visit restaurant websites, search on Google, or call them right away.”
Looking ahead to December holidays, 28% of consumers will order from or dine at restaurants for Christmas this year and 35% will do so for New Year’s Eve.
Survey Methodology
Popmenu conducted an anonymous, nationwide study of 1,000 U.S. consumers, ages 18 and older, from November 17 to November 18, 2024.
