After a slow end to 2024, new data reveals a statistically significant uptick in consumer dining habits.
The restaurant industry may finally be catching a much-needed tailwind.
According to new data from Big Chalk Analytics, consumer dining behavior is beginning to rebound — slowly but surely — from the sluggish fourth quarter of 2024. Their June 2025 data shows that the percentage of consumers who typically dine out at least once per week has grown to 77.3%, up from 76.4% just six months ago.
While a one-point gain might seem modest, it’s paired with an even more telling metric: average weekly restaurant visits per consumer have climbed to 2.19, up from 1.99 in Q4. Big Chalk’s partner and lead analyst, Rick Miller, doesn’t mince words here — he calls this increase “statistically significant.”
And in a business where small shifts in traffic can have big impact on the bottom line, this news matters.
The percentage of consumers who typically dine out at least once per week has grown to 77.3%, up from 76.4% just six months ago.
— Source: National Restaurant News Article
Turning Traffic into ROI.
With consumers showing a renewed appetite for dining out — and doing so more frequently — it’s a smart time for restaurant owners/operators to evaluate how to extend their dining hours, boost outdoor revenue, and elevate guest experiences.
To help restaurant owners quantify the opportunity, Schwank has launched a powerful, data-driven tool:
the Schwank Patio ROI Calculator.
With just a few inputs — like patio size, average spend, and expected traffic — the tool delivers a clear projection of how much revenue your patio could generate when properly equipped with efficient infrared heating.
