Want to Make Your Restaurant Popular with All Generations? Here’s How.

Every restaurant owner wants their restaurant to be popular with anyone and everyone who walks through the door. 

But the only way to make that happen?

Learn everything you can about what every type of diner wants, of course.

So, you fire up Google and start researching. 

“The differences between Gen X and Gen Y.”

“What Boomers want and what Zoomers need.” 

“Why [insert generation here] is your biggest money-maker.”

5 hours and 500 tabs later, you’re no closer to knowing how to make your restaurant popular.

Until now, that is. 

In this blog, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about  Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. — A.K.A. the generations that matter most to your restaurant.

Every section will include:

1. A mini crash course on each of the most restaurant-relevant generations, and
2. What each specific generation wants from the restaurants they dine at. 

We’ll also share some of the preferences every generation has in common, so you have some fuel for your “appeal to everyone” fire. 

Sound good? 

Let’s get started, then. 

A Crash Course on the Generations 

Baby Boomers: Tips on Making Your Restaurant Popular with Boomers 

Traditional service reigns supreme for Boomers

• 53% prefer to make purchases in person
• 38% “don’t approve” of businesses using AI 
• 88% prefer employee-led table-service over tech-powered service

Boomers think “older,” more familiar tech is best 

• 47% feel comfortable paying for their meals on a tablet
• This generation is most comfortable ordering delivery on a restaurant’s website 
• 33.8M people in this generation use Facebook (one of the oldest mainstream platforms) 

Trust is rewarded with loyalty with Boomers

• 73% say brand reputation most impacts their bond/brand loyalty 
• 90%  choose brands they feel will protect their personal data 
• 84% would not choose a company with what they consider poor reviews 

Gen X: Tips on Making Your Restaurant Popular with Gen Xers

Gen Xers prefer a blend of tradition and tech 

• 46% say they prefer a mix of both in-store and online shopping
• While 64% of this generation prefer traditional service, 68% say they’d be comfortable paying for their meal on a tablet
• This gen primarily discovers new products in-store (43%) and on social media (42%) 

Good deals are highly attractive to Gen X

• 71% said the presence of a loyalty program influences their purchase
• 65% have done research in-store before committing to a purchase
• 42% say “getting the best price” is the main factor in a purchase

Gen X considers speed and efficiency a make or break

• 49% said that waiting in long lines is their biggest shopping frustration
• 60% have ordered groceries online for at-home delivery 
• They’re characterized as striving for a “balance between work and family” 

Millennials: Tips on Making Your Restaurant Popular with Millennials

Millennials think more tech is always good

• 48% want more tech options at table-service restaurants
• 53% would pick tech-led table-service vs employee-led 
• 40% are “very/extremely interested” in automated food delivery

Personalization goes a long way with Millennials

• 90% want to receive personalized deals
• This generation is 2x as likely as others to want product recommendations
• 41% would buy from a different merchant with better personalized offers

Millennials think an online presence is a must-have

• 30% avoid restaurants with a “weak” presence on Instagram
• 57% factor in reviews when choosing where to eat/what to order
• 76% use Google to research restaurants (followed by Facebook at 69%)

Gen Z: Tips on Making Your Restaurant Popular with Gen Zs

Digital options are the best options for Gen Z

• 43% want more tech options at table-service restaurants
• 98% said it’s important to join a restaurant’s app/ loyalty program
• 64% of diners in this generation think tech improves table-service experiences 

Gen Z says tech-powered convenience is king 

• 56% say tech improves their experience ordering delivery
• 54% would pay extra to reserve a specific table at a restaurant
• 88% of diners in this gen would use an order-ahead option at table-service restaurants

Standing out is how you fit in with Gen Z

• This is the generation most likely to have recently tried a new food or drink
• 60% would rather spend money on an experience than material things
• 100% of diners in this gen want unique, “never-before-seen” restaurant experiences

(Pssst — this blog has even more tips for making your restaurant popular with the digital generation.)

3 Ways to Make Your Restaurant Popular with All Generations

There’s a popular marketing adage about picking a single, narrow audience:

“If you’re speaking to everyone, you’re speaking to no one.” 

While that might be true for LinkedIn posts or email marketing… 

It’s not always true for restaurants. 

Because, despite the generational differences we just talked about, there are meaningful similarities between each generation’s restaurant preferences.

And that means you’re only a few strategic changes away from successfully “speaking” to everyone, no matter their generation. 

(...just don’t tell the LinkedIn gurus I said you could talk to “everyone,” okay?) 

So, here are 3 things you can implement in your restaurant based on preferences every generation has in common. 

1. Every generation wants varied, easy-to-use tech options

Gen Zers may have been born holding iPhones, but Baby Boomers definitely weren’t.

That’s why, to appeal to everyone, your restaurant’s tech roster needs to be varied and easy to use. Consider implementing different tech options at different “literacy” levels, from a low-lift website (for the 71% of Boomers who feel comfortable ordering online) to tech-savvy NFC payments (for the 85% of Gen Zers who want to close their tab with Apple Pay). 

•  Consider multiple avenues of tech in your restaurant, both “new” (like a Craver mobile app) and “more familiar” (like a Craver touch-screen kiosk)

2 —  Every generation wants a loyalty program with good rewards

Whether it’s restaurants or retail, everybody wants a lil' extra from the places they support. 

A loyalty or rewards program is a great way to give back to your ride-or-die customers in ways that appeal to every generation. The best loyalty programs offer a range of rewards and incentives, from personalized recommendations for the Millennials and competitive discounts for the Gen Xers to a guarantee of data security for the Boomers, too. 

•  Consider a Craver loyalty program to give your customers discounts, personalized recs, and convenience (all while keeping their data safe and secure)

3 — Every generation wants a seamless delivery experience 

Gen X might be the most vocal about it, but does anyone really enjoy getting the wrong order? 

Fast, efficient, and seamless restaurant delivery is a win for all generations… as long as it’s done in a way everyone can get behind. For example, while Boomers might be less keen on AI than Gen Zers, both generations would order delivery through a website. Find where most of your delivery orders come from, then make it easier than it’s ever been. 

• Consider taking your delivery services in-house with a Craver mobile app, so you can keep the profits, handle the refunds, and adjust as you see fit 

A Final Note on Generational Research 

Generational trends and traits have been a hot research topic for decades. 

But with date cut-offs and labels changing almost every year, it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest generational knowledge.

So, to keep things as consistent and up-to-date as possible, we’ll be using data from Pew Research Center (A.K.A. one of the most recognizable names in the gen research game). 

P.S. A friendly reminder that generational trends and traits are not an exact science, so keep these notes from Pew Research Center in your back pocket! 

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Written By Melissa Mertsis

Melissa is a freelance writer for Craver.