Restaurants should aim to please their customers. But as many Americans unfortunately know, that’s not the case in every locale.
From blasting music so loud that diners can’t hear one another to setting strict table times, Americans feel that some restaurants fail in customer etiquette.
YouGov set out to determine which restaurant behaviors American customers believe are and aren’t acceptable. While Americans mostly understand certain behaviors that restaurants choose, the majority view others as downright cringe-worthy.
Analyzing Restaurant Etiquette
To determine the restaurant behaviors Americans think are acceptable and unacceptable, YouGov polled 1,000 participants in April 2024. They presented 40 restaurant behaviors to those surveyed and asked them to rate the acceptability of each one.
YouGov used a random sample stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration. They estimated the margin of error for their survey sample was 4%.
The following are 20 restaurant behaviors that survey participants ranked as somewhat acceptable to almost unanimously unacceptable. We ordered this list starting with the relatively most acceptable restaurant behaviors. Flip through the slideshow to see where each behavior falls.
1: No Reservations
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to not allow reservations: 54%
2: Cancellation Fees
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to charge a cancellation fee for reservations not honored: 53%
3: Formal Attire
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to require formal attire for dining: 49%
4: Perks For Reviews
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to offer discounts to guests who provide positive reviews online: 43%
5: Communal Seating
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to offer only communal seating rather than private tables: 30%
6: No-Child Policy
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to have a policy against children dining in the restaurant: 39%
7: Table Time Limits
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to impose a time limit on how long guests can occupy a table: 31%
8: No-Phone Policy
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to have a no-phone policy at the dining table: 37%
9: Children's Menu
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to not allow grownups to order off the children's menu: 30%
10: Costly Refills
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to charge for refills on non-alcoholic beverages: 29%
11: No Substitutions
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to not allow substitutions or modifications to menu items: 28%
12: Digital Menus
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to use digital menus exclusively, accessible via smartphones: 26%
13: Splitting Dishes
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to charge to split dishes among multiple guests: 23%
14: Automatic Service Charges
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to automatically include a 20% service charge on the bill: 19%
15: Splitting the Bill
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to not be willing to split the bill among multiple guests: 18%
16: Dynamic Pricing
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to use dynamic pricing, in which prices vary based on demand or time: 17%
17: Playing Music
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to play music at a high volume: 12%
18: Minimum Spending
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to require each guest to spend a minimum amount: 12%
19: No Prices
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to not indicate prices next to items on the menu: 8%
20: Tap Water
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Percentage of Americans who believe it's acceptable for restaurants to charge for tap water: 6%
America’s Dining Habits
Americans are no strangers to restaurants. According to a 2023 US Foods survey, the average American dines out at a restaurant three times per month. That said, delivery is a more popular option, with the same group of survey participants reporting that they order delivery an average of 4.5 times per month.
So, why do 57% of Americans prefer ordering takeout or delivery over dining in at a restaurant?
It appears poor restaurant behaviors have little to do with it. After all, many Americans have access to choose from an abundance of restaurants where they live. Instead, 76% of Americans say they prefer takeout or delivery because they enjoy eating at home. Seventy-five percent report the overall convenience of takeout and delivery attracts them to not eat at a restaurant.
Worth the Wait
Time is money. But when it comes to choosing between dining out or eating at home, it appears the majority of Americans are willing to lose both time and money.
In US Foods’ survey, 54% of customers reported being willing to wait 30 minutes or longer for their takeout or delivery order.
Income Differences
American households with $200,000+ to their name spend an average of eight times as much money on eating out than households that make under $15,000.
Of the different restaurant options available, convenience was the clear winner. Casual dining, fast food, and fast casual are Americans’ top picks for dine-in restaurant types.
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