4 ways restaurants can appeal to African-American diners

By 2060, the U.S. African-American population will swell to 74 million—an increase of 30 million from 2014, the U.S. Census Bureaupredicts. African-Americans are not only growing demographically, but also financially. In fact, the median household income of this group rose by more than $2,000 from 2015 to 2016, according to the Census Bureau.

As 65% of African-American patrons order from restaurants weekly, per Technomic’s2017 FARE: Business of Food report, here are four ways operators can cater to this growing demographic.

Brand integrity plays a key role in attracting African-American consumers. Fifty-three percent of African-Americans say it’s important that their restaurant of choice have a trustworthy brand, while just over 43% of overall diners do, according to Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics, powered by Ignite.

Kitchen cleanliness, although one of the highest-rated attributes among consumers overall, is valued most by African-American patrons, Technomic’s numbers show. Approximately 61% of African-Americans say it’s important that an eatery’s kitchen and prep area (if visible) is clean, compared to an overall average of about 55%.

More than 54% of African-Americans place importance on the quality of food when ordered for takeout, compared to just over 46% of overall consumers. As delivery grows in popularity, chains are continually looking to one-up each other in terms of convenience and quality; a recent example is Pizza Hut’s new delivery box, which aims to keep pies up to 15 degrees hotter as they travel from stores to customers' homes.

A higher percentage of African-Americans than consumers overall say dish presentation is a key aspect of their dining experience. Per Technomic’s metrics, 48.5% of African-Americans say it’s important that their food be visually appealing, while just 41.2% of overall diners say so. This preference aligns with consumers’ growing desire for foods with Instagrammable appeal.