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Results
of Our First Dining Out Survey
Thanks to the hundreds
of readers who responded to our inaugural Dining Out Poll. While
the poll is not scientific, (most of the respondents represent a
sub group with more than an abiding interest in the local restaurant
scene) it does reflect the attitudes of a cross section of Austin
“foodies.” The results appear below along with Rob’s commentary.
Q. In the past three months, have you dined
at any restaurants that you had not been to before?
87% of our respondents said that within the
past three months, they had tried a restaurant they had not dined
at before.
This is encouraging news if the numbers are
even somewhat accurate. Prior experience has shown that many people
get stuck in a proverbial dining rut. They tend to go back to the
same restaurants and even order the same dishes on each occasion.
(Then there’s the guy who’s been ordering the Spaghetti Bolognese
at La Traviata every day for the last three years.)
The Austin restaurant scene needs a healthy
diversity. And the only way new restaurants even get a shot is for
the dining public to be curious and acquisitive. Let’s hope these
numbers continue to stay high in future polls.
Q. Compared to this time last year, are you
dining out more, less, or about the same?
23% of the respondents said they were dining
out more, 51% said about the same, and 26% said less.
This is about what we expected. Things were
fairly flat last year in Austin on the high end scene and these
results indicate that it’s about a wash. There has most definitely
been no really discernable up tick in the fine dining segment. Some
restaurants that should be packed are not and many other places
only really do decent business Thursday-Saturday.
In a really healthy and robust dining market,
that percent who say they were dining out MORE than last year is
usually 40% or higher.
Q. Compared to this time last year, are you
spending more, about the same, or less on your average dinner bill?
32% said they were spending more, 50% said about
the same, and 18% said less.
How does one interpret these results? It’s safe
to say that restaurants have not substantially (if at all) raised
their menu prices from last year So exactly how are that 32% spending
more? Are they ordering better wine, having dessert, bringing family
members to dinner, moving up the price list on the menu, or is that
number a function of those who say they are dining out more?
We’ve heard many restaurants comment about
that 18% who said “less”. Plate-splitting has become a regular occurrence
and many are opting for less expensive bottles of wine (the real
profit centers for restaurants).
12/06
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