Brussels (Brussels Morning) – A recent study reveals Belgians dine out less due to tighter budgets, yet maintain their taste preferences. Rising costs and time constraints contribute to reduced restaurant visits, impacting the industry.
Two out of three Belgians head to a restaurant at least once a month, but they are dining out less than they did five years ago, a new study has uncovered. The latest “restaurant barometer” by payment medium Edenred requested 4,099 Belgians about their restaurant habits this year. It covers “real” restaurants – not chip shops, sandwich shops, work canteens or take-aways.
What Factors Influence Belgians’ Restaurant Choices?
The survey discovered that Belgians have a lower budget to pay for dining out, citing a greater need to manage their spending. Some 6% of Belgians dine at a restaurant only once a year or not at all.
With increasing inflation and restaurant costs, 36% of Belgians say their budget to eat out is less than it was five years ago, while 45% say they are ready to pay the same amount as before. Their tastes, however, stay the same. People in Belgium choose Belgian and French dishes, followed by Italian – the same results as for 2019.
Why Are Belgians Spending Less on Dining Out?
Edenred Belgium’s managing director Olivier Bouquet stated the results about restaurant frequentation were worrying. “With the cost of living that is becoming more expensive, the price of a basket full of shopping is increasing and so that provokes a drop in the frequency of restaurant-going,” he stated.
He mentioned also that some interviewees stated they did not have enough time to enjoy a full meal in a restaurant. Belgians still spend about €40 per person which is “an oversized budget,” Bouquet added. And while 11% pay less than €30 on average, per person, per visit, 14% will pay much more – around €75 per person.
Indeed, while Belgians do not regular restaurants so often this year, when they do, they desire to make the most of it. Half of them order two systems– a starter and a main or a major and a dessert. Slightly less than a quarter will just take one dish, while another quarter will pick three or even four courses.
And if diners’ eyes are larger than their stomachs, especially with financial considerations or just the wish not to debilitate food, some 43% of people interviewed stated they ask to take leftovers home with them, while around a third say that they would never do this. More than one in five restaurant-goers do not contain wine with a meal, and alcohol in general, again often a budgetary choice.
What Challenges Do Belgian Restaurants Face?
Luc Marchal, president of Wallonia’s Horeca Federation, stated many restaurants were in hardship. With the rise in social media and apps, unsurprisingly, more than half of respondents (54%) stated they looked for online restaurant checks before stepping out. “Even if we go less to restaurants, we research them well, we want it to be a good experience,” Bouquet expressed.
According to the survey, the type of food rather than the price influences restaurant choice the most at 42%, heeded by the price (24%) and then the location (20%). Belgians favour to go to classic restaurants (32%), as well as brasseries, grills or mussel restaurants, followed by pizzerias (10%), burger joints (6%) and gastronomic Michelin-starred restaurants (5%).
