Source: The Atlantic
by Derek Thompson
“A short drive from my home in North Carolina is a small Mexican restaurant, with several tables and four stools at a bar facing the kitchen. On a sweltering afternoon last summer, I walked in with my wife and daughter. The place was empty. But looking closer, I realized that business was booming. The bar was covered with to-go food: nine large brown bags. … In 2023, 74 percent of all restaurant traffic came from ‘off premises’ customers — that is, from takeout and delivery — up from 61 percent before COVID, according to the National Restaurant Association. The flip side of less dining out is more eating alone. The share of U.S. adults having dinner or drinks with friends on any given night has declined by more than 30 percent in the past 20 years.” (01/08/25)