UK Consumers Rethink How, When and Where They Dine Out as Budgets Tighten, Popmenu Study Finds

• Consumers currently spend 25% of their monthly food budget on restaurants, but most are cutting back
• Skipping alcohol, dining early and choosing children's meals for adults are among ways consumers are managing spend at restaurants
• 64% are good with restaurants using AI to enhance service

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic pressure on UK households hasn't caused consumers to give up on eating out, but they are getting creative with how they make their money go further. Today, UK consumers spend a quarter of their monthly food budgets on restaurants. Most (69%) say they are spending less on restaurants than they did a year ago, using cost-saving tactics such as replacing entrees with appetisers, eating children's meals, drinking tap water, and collecting takeaways over delivery.

This is according to a new report by Popmenu, a restaurant technology leader that serves over 12,000 restaurants globally. The report, based on a study of 600 UK consumers from 31 August to 3 September 2026, explores current dining behaviours, preferences and expectations for restaurants.

"Two-thirds of Brits still eat out or order in at least once a week," said Brendan Sweeney, CEO and Co-founder of Popmenu. "They're just more intentional about every pound spent. Affordability is top of mind along with easy guest experiences and loyalty incentives. Digital hospitality is just as important to them as in-person hospitality and they're happy for AI to help with both."

How are leaner budgets influencing dining habits?

Half of UK consumers are cutting back on dinners at restaurants while others are curbing spend for other dayparts:

• 51% - Dinner
• 30% - Lunch
• 30% - Late-night bites
• 21% - Breakfast
• 20% - Snack

When asked how they keep eating out affordable, consumers pointed to the following:

• 52% - Choosing restaurants with less expensive menu items
• 37% - Cutting back on alcohol
• 34% - Drinking tap water instead of paying for a drink
• 30% - Collecting orders rather than paying for delivery
• 13% - Ordering a starter instead of a main
• 12% - Ordering a children's meal for an adult

Quick service (ex: McDonald's), fast casual (ex: Nando's) and casual (ex: Wagamama) restaurants remain the most visited types of restaurants.

What do consumers want from restaurants?

According to the research, they expect restaurants to make their choice easy: show up in search results, share visuals and reviews of dishes, offer deals and direct ordering, and provide incentives to come back.

• SEO and AEO are table stakes: 88% use Google and other search engines to find restaurants; 19% use AI tools such as ChatGPT. Restaurants that rank high are chosen more often.
• Visuals close the deal: 89% are more likely to choose a menu with photos and reviews; 3 in 4 want to see dish videos.
• Direct ordering is preferred: 93% order on their phones, and 78% would download a restaurant's app—63% are less likely to order if they're sent to a third-party site.
• Value drives spending: 64% prefer restaurants with inexpensive meal options and special deals; 66% will spend more if there's a discount.
• A little VIP treatment goes a long way: 51% are more likely to choose restaurants with a loyalty programme; 75% are willing to join a restaurant's mailing list and 47% want to hear from their favourite spots at least once a week.
• AI is enhancing hospitality: 60% are ok with restaurants using AI to provide better, faster service, from answering phones and taking orders to preparing and serving food.

Survey Methodology

Popmenu conducted an anonymous, nationwide survey of 600 consumers, ages 18 and older, from 31 August to 3 September 2026.

About Popmenu

As a leader in restaurant technology, Popmenu is on a mission to make profitable growth easy for all restaurants. Digital marketing, online ordering, and on-premise technologies headline a powerful product suite infused with artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and deep data on guest preferences. The company consolidates tools needed to engage guests, serving as a digital control center for more than 12,000 independent restaurants and hospitality groups in the UK, US, Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit popmenu.co.uk.

Media Contact
Jennifer Grasz
VP of Marketing, Popmenu
Jennifer.Grasz@popmenu.com