Why You Should Care About Restaurant Customer Demographics

Who’s sitting at your tables tonight, and what do they really want from the experience?

In an industry where every cover counts, the most successful restaurants aren’t just guessing. They’re studying the who behind every reservation.

Understanding your guests’ demographics like age, income, location and lifestyle unlocks insights that can shape everything from your menu and marketing to your floor plan and follow-ups.

When you know which guests are willing to spend, and what they value most, you can deliver the kind of personalized hospitality that keeps them coming back.

Let’s break down how to use restaurant demographics to design experiences that feel personal, profitable and unforgettable.

What are restaurant demographics?

Restaurant demographics are the statistical traits of a restaurant’s customer base such as age, gender, income, location and dining habits. Understanding these characteristics helps operators design menus, set pricing and create marketing strategies that resonate with the right audience.

These insights fall under four key segments: demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral data.

Demographic insights: Answers the “who” (age, income, gender). Diners in urban locations tend to prefer faster service compared to those in suburban areas. Furthermore, Millennials with higher disposable incomes tend to celebrate more birthdays and anniversaries at restaurants.

Psychographic insight: Answers the “why” (values, interests, motivations. Health-conscious diners may prioritize plant-based menus, while luxury seekers are willing to pay more for tasting menus, wine pairings, and premium seating.

Geographic insights: Focus on the “where” (how location shapes dining behavior). Urban diners might look for late-night options and online reservations, while suburban guests may prioritize comfort, parking access, and family-friendly menus.

Behavioral insight: Answers the “how” (how guests interact with your brand, how often they dine, what they order, and how they respond to offers). For example, frequent weekday visitors might respond well to loyalty rewards, while occasional diners could be re-engaged through personalized event invitations or limited-time menus.

When you combine these insights, you can better design menu offerings, tailor events and promotions and segment marketing communications based on your customer base.

Why restaurant demographics drive loyalty

Trends suggest diners are becoming more mindful with money, but are also more loyal to restaurants that personalize their experience:

Personalization pays off: Consumers are willing to pay more for personalized experiences, including preferred seating, a holiday menu or celebration or curated platters and pairings.

Data builds trust: Guests are increasingly comfortable sharing information. Over 80% of consumers (and 95% of Millennials) are open to sharing data for perks like VIP events or exclusive tastings.

Hospitality gestures matter: Simple touches drive loyalty. Saying “welcome back” is the top staff interaction valued by guests across all demographics.

Key restaurant demographics to track

So, which restaurant customer demographics should you be paying attention to? Here are several to keep front of mind:

Income (who can splurge vs who is cautious): Spending power influences willingness to splurge on premium experiences. It also helps you set prices and predict visit frequency.

Family and relationship status (Single vs. married vs. children): These statuses impact dining behaviors trends, choices and patterns.

Gender: Knowing if your customer base skews more towards a certain gender can help you make business decisions that appeal to your customers.

Age (GenZ vs. Boomers): Generational habits shape how guests discover, book and enjoy restaurants.

Location (urban vs. suburban): Knowing where your customers live can help you understand whether you’re dealing with tourists or with locals who you can turn into regulars.

Average spend: Understanding spending habits can help you tailor certain perks and promotions, like upselling to your bigger spenders.

Tech adoption: Comfort with AI, mobile apps, and SMS marketing will influence how guests find and book with you.

Occasions: Birthdays, anniversaries and holidays continue to drive bookings across channels.

Restaurant demographics by generation

Age plays a huge role in customers’ dining habits, so we wanted to highlight this critical demographic and what it means for restaurants. Here’s an overview of dining preferences by generation.

Gen Z (born 2001 – 2013)

Expect to be able to access dining quickly and as needed.

69% use social media to find new restaurants.

Comfortable with tech being part of the dining experience, including using AI for reservations.

See restaurants as part of their meal prep habits. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), eight in 10 would purchase a meal kit if offered by one of their favorite restaurants.

Two in three Gen Zers view takeout and delivery as essential to their lifestyle, and 85% have ordered delivery in the last six months.

Willing to splurge on Instagrammable and shareable experiences.

Millennials (1980 – 2000)

Eat out more than any other generation and make up more than 30% of customers.

72% of millennials view takeout as essential, according to the NRA.

95% are open to signing up for restaurant updates.

81% are interested in healthy foods.

View restaurants as part of their meal prep.

Driven by premium upgrades and VIP perks like birthday promos and exclusive tastings.

Gen X (1965 – 1979)

Enjoy dining with family.

Value affordability and quality of service.

Tend to prefer direct reservations over third-party services.

Prefer eating organic foods when possible.

47% of Gen Xers would purchase a meal kit from a restaurant.

Boomers (1943 – 1964)

Dine out weekly.

Prefer dining out to getting takeout.

30% choose restaurants with a mix of both familiar and innovative food options.

Prefer ordering delivery directly from restaurants. Only 38% of boomer delivery customers used third-party ordering tools.

33% would purchase a meal kit from a restaurant.

More comfortable in traditional settings with consistent menus.

Tools for collecting restaurant demographic research

You don’t need to hire a detective to learn more about your guests. Use these tactics to research your restaurant’s demographics.

CRM & POS data: Automatically collect and track guest preferences, frequency and spend by leveraging a restaurant CRM like SevenRooms that integrates with your POS system.

Customer interviews: Ask dine-in customers to participate in an interview. Ask them to share demographic data with you. Offering an incentive, like a perk or gift card, will make customers more likely to participate.

Survey: Similarly, you can ask customers on your email list to partake in a survey and share demographic information in exchange for an incentive.

Observation: Informally observe customers. Assign an employee to spend a shift or two tracking customers at different times of day. For example, they could note the number of families vs. couples vs. friends vs. solo diners and take their best guess at diners’ ages.

Census data: Request census data from your local government to learn more about your local market.

Social media analytics: Most social media platforms will give you some demographic data about your followers, like location, age, gender, browsing habits and interests.

How to leverage customer demographics at your restaurant

Now that you have customer data, what should you do with it? These applications will help you make the most of the demographics you’ve collected.

Segment your email list

With customer data, you can better segment your email list and send personalized messages and promotions to the customers who will be most receptive to them.

For example, here are the top personalized email campaigns that drive the highest repeat visit rates:

Auto-sending the wine list before the next visit for ‘Wine Spenders’.

Auto-sending the current menu to first-time diners before their first visit.

Tagging 5-star-feedback guests and auto-sending a thank you from GM.

Improve customer service

Demographics help you understand your customer base as a whole. Individual customer data helps you provide better service.

When servers can view a guest’s profile while they’re seated, they can recognize who they’re interacting with and provide customers with a VIP experience.

For example, if a regular who typically dines with her young children makes a reservation, you can anticipate her needs by bringing a high chair and kids' food menu without being asked.

Make better recommendations

When you look at data in a guest’s profile, you can see their dining preferences and can make suggestions accordingly. If a guest usually chooses red wine over white, you can recommend a special bottle of Merlot. In fact, 53% of diners are willing to pay more for personalized beverage pairings.

Personalization + demographics = Repeat guests

Knowing your restaurant’s customer demographics can help you run a more successful business. Use technology, conduct research surveys, monitor analytics and observe guests to learn more about them. Then, turn that data into a better dining experience.

SevenRooms can help you store and gather your restaurant’s customer demographics. Request a demo today.

Restaurant Demographic FAQs

1. Which restaurant customer demographic dines out the most?

According to recent trends, millennials (defined as those born between 1980 and 2000) spend the most dining out, averaging $95 per week. While 43% of millennial respondents said they dine out for convenience, 49% said they eat in restaurants because it provides a social setting for them to spend time with friends and family.

2. What are the best methods to research restaurant customer preferences?

Restaurants gather data through reservations, loyalty programs, surveys, POS systems and online opt-ins. Today’s guests are comfortable sharing contact information, birthdays, anniversaries and dining preferences when they see a clear benefit in return.

Demographic research shapes menus that resonate. Understanding guests’ age, income, culture and lifestyle helps operators design offerings that feel relevant—from plant-forward dishes for younger diners to experiential options for luxury audiences. When paired with SevenRooms’ guest data, demographic insights drive smarter, more personalized menu decisions.

4. How can demographic data improve restaurant location decisions?

Using demographic data allows restaurants to take a data-led approach to expansion. By blending CRM insights with local population, income and lifestyle information, operators can uncover where their most loyal guests live and replicate that success in similar markets, ensuring each new opening is grounded in real opportunity.

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