The fast-growing economy and restaurant business made it easier for millions of Americans to dine out rather than cook at home. Some people in America live in cities where the lifestyle is fast, and thus most citizens prefer eating out. Eating out is considered a significant phenomenon in America. This post will discuss why Americans eat out more than cook at home.
The dining out culture has become popular because fast food is available. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food away from home (FAFH) has been consumed 30% more over the past decade (Saksena et al., 2018). The consumption has increased because the market offers many food options that can be cooked quickly or not cooked at all. Therefore, extensive availability of dining options creates a higher demand from the population.
The small amount of time spent on FAFH creates an opportunity for corporate workers to economize time; thus, many Americans choose to eat out. Until 2019 the amount of money Americans spend on restaurants has grown steadily and reached over 773 billion USD 2019 (Lock, 2021). However, this number fell in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, some reports show that in the past few years, Americans have chosen to eat at home because restaurant costs have increased, and technology has made grocery shopping more convenient (“Why Americans are eating out less than ever.”, 2019). Nonetheless, it is predicted that after the COVID-19 pandemic finishes, people will return to dining out, which will again endorse the dining out phenomenon.
To conclude, the post discussed the reasons why many Americans eat out. To be precise, most people prefer to spend less time cooking and therefore choose to dine out. In addition, the availability of dining options such as restaurants, delivery, and others makes the demand for people to eat out grow steadily. Therefore, many Americans nowadays eat out more than at home.
References
Saksena et al., (2018). America’s Eating Habits: Food Away From Home, EIB-196, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Lock S., (2021) Topic: Eating out behavior in the U.S. Statista. Web.
Why are Americans eating out less than ever? (2019). TSG Wealth Management. Web.