Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases?
Toast’s survey of 850 U.S. adults found just 18% now call menu price hikes justified, while 69% want advance notice.
- A Toast survey of 850 U.S. adults indicates diners are less accepting of restaurant price hikes compared to 2024, as skepticism regarding pricing has grown substantially over two years.
- While skepticism rose, 57% of guests in 2026 clearly understand why restaurants raise prices, citing rising ingredient costs , inflation , and labor expenses as primary drivers.
- Despite price concerns, dining frequency remains essentially flat, with 53% of respondents dining out less frequently in 2026; among those dining out less, 56% cite overall cost of living as the main reason.
- Restaurants could provide advance notice, as 69% of respondents in 2026 prefer communication before price hikes occur—a persistent expectation unchanged for two years and an accessible way to ease guest concerns.
- Most diners are making strategic adjustments to manage rising costs, with 45% preparing more meals at home and 40% selecting lower-cost menu options, while only 12% report making no changes at all.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases? - The Mexico Ledger
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases?In April 2024, Data by Toast surveyed 850 U.S. diners about how they were feeling about rising menu prices, then conducted a similar survey in July 2026. Prices have kept climbing in the two years between waves, and so has guest skepticism—but not in the way that might show up in a restaurant's traffic numbers.Do guests think restaurant price increases are justified?Fewer than th…
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases? - Seward Independent
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases?In April 2024, Data by Toast surveyed 850 U.S. diners about how they were feeling about rising menu prices, then conducted a similar survey in July 2026. Prices have kept climbing in the two years between waves, and so has guest skepticism—but not in the way that might show up in a restaurant's traffic numbers.Do guests think restaurant price increases are justified?Fewer than th…
thepampanews.com
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases?
Toast reports that rising restaurant prices have led to increased guest skepticism, with only 18% in 2026 finding price hikes justified, down from 41% in 2024.
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases? - Stateline Publications
Survey: Are guests losing patience with restaurant price increases?In April 2024, Data by Toast surveyed 850 U.S. diners about how they were feeling about rising menu prices, then conducted a similar survey in July 2026. Prices have kept climbing in the two years between waves, and so has guest skepticism—but not in the way that might show up in a restaurant's traffic numbers.Do guests think restaurant price increases are justified?Fewer than th…
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