Seventy percent of consumers in the Washington, D.C., metro area order food from restaurants at least once a week, with nearly half visiting multiple times a week. The D.C. crowd is also tech-savvy, and says the option to use amenities such as online and mobile ordering or kiosk ordering is important. Linked to that, 47% of this consumer set says loyalty rewards programs are important to their restaurant decision, higher than the 42% national average. As such, these diners say they are slightly more loyal to brands than the national average.
What Matters to Diners in Washington, D.C.?
Percentage of consumers who rate these attributes as important/very important in their dining decision:
| Ability to customize my order | 82% |
| Atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable | 86% |
| Convenient location | 88% |
| Has an excellent reputation | 84% |
| Healthy options are available | 68% |
| Is socially responsible | 55% |
| Is kid-friendly | 43% |
| Loyalty to a restaurant/brand | 55% |
| Menu prices in line with similar restaurants | 85% |
| Overall takeout capabilities | 69% |
| Quality of takeout packaging | 60% |
| Speed of visit | 83% |
| Has effective advertising (makes me hungry, is memorable, etc.) | 52% |
| Service is friendly | 90% |
| Quality of food when ordered for takeout | 84% |
Source: Technomic Ignite consumer data
How often do they visit restaurants?
| Every day | 6% |
| Couple times a week | 42% |
| Once a week | 22% |
| 2-3 times a month | 18% |
| Once a month | 6% |
| Once every 2-3 months | 3% |
| Longer than every 3 months | 2% |
Source: Technomic Ignite consumer data
Where else are they eating?
| Buy prepared foods from another grocery or retail store | 8% |
| Eat at/purchase food from a restaurant | 57% |
| Make something at home | 35% |
Source: Technomic Ignite consumer data