William Blair’s latest restaurant tracker showed a relatively stable consumer despite shaky conditions. About 92 percent of respondents in the company’s December data pull indicated they were ordering, or eating, food from restaurants at least a few times per month. Nineteen percent were doing so daily. That’s up from 87 percent last year. And the percentage ordering food either a few times per week or daily was 68 percent for people under 60 compared to 53 percent for those older. As you’d imagine, there was a correlation to income level, with 69 percent earning over $100,000 ordering a few times a week or daily versus 60 percent for those making less than $50,000. William Blair’s survey included a few layers as restaurants continue to grapple with changing preferences and spending habits. Q1, traditionally, is a quarter where weather affects same-store sales more than any other trigger—good or bad. And talk to start the year suggests a soft opening to what’s hopefully a more typical calendar in terms of dining patterns. But time will tell. For now, a look at Q4’s trends, with previous results as a baseline, outline what’s evolved headed into 2026. Per the survey, in-person was the most common form of restaurant interaction for respondents at an average of roughly 4.7 days per month. It surpassed drive-thru (4.3 days), takeout (3.8 days), and delivery (3 days). Usage added up to 15.9 interactions with restaurants per month, which was higher than December 2024 (49 percent) and the loftiest figure…
