61% diners want takeaway meals, home-delivery as Covid fear remains: Survey

Over 95% diners say they'd feel comfortable visiting eateries that clearly communicate their protocols in dining and kitchen areas; some prefer kitchens that are open for patron inspection

Though the state governments have eased lockdowns, around 61 per cent of the consumers still prefer takeaway or home-delivery of meals post the pandemic induced lockdown. This is compared to 75 per cent of people who preferred to dine-out at restaurants, said a survey by Economix Consulting Group (ECG), a Chennai-based consulting and analytics firm.

There is a marked shift towards takeaway and home-delivery over dine-out across all categories of respondents. Homemakers and Working Professionals demonstrated the greatest shift, with 51 per cent and 37 per cent respectively moving towards takeaway/ home- delivery. Over 95 per cent of diners admit that they would feel comfortable visiting restaurants that clearly communicate their protocols in dining and kitchen areas, with some preferring kitchens that are open for inspections by customers.

More than a third of respondents dined out three times or more in a month pre-COVID, but only 11 per cent of respondents wish to dine at restaurants, immediately once lockdown eases. Overall, women appeared to be more cautious than men about venturing out to eat, with 71 per cent preferring to dine out only after two months or more, whereas nearly 50 per cent male respondents are keen to dine out within the next month, the report said.

Nearly 60 per cent of diners wished to have the option between indoor and outdoor seating once they start visiting restaurants again, and more than 90 per cent respondents indicated a change in table arrangements. A majority (86 per cent) of the diners consider seating arrangements as an extremely important factor amongst the list of factors considered before dining out at restaurants.

Latha Ramanathan, Founder of ECG said, “The shift to home-delivery/ takeaway is here to stay. Restaurants should take this time to focus on building trust with consumers, as diners exercise extreme caution in choosing where to eat/order. Fundamentals of excellent taste and hygienic preparation aside; prominent announcements of staff vaccinations, strict adherence to safety protocols and a socially distanced dining experience appear to be the demands of the "New Normal.”

More than half of the diners preferred biodegradable (such as Banana leaf) or recyclable (wood) cutlery, while just over a third of the diners preferred reusable cutleries (metal/ceramic), it said. The report said that diners have become cautious, with almost half of them having concerns about consuming cold/ uncooked foods such as desserts, salads and fruits. More than 50 per cent diners plan to continue ordering non-vegetarian meals during this pandemic.

Almost all (98 per cent) diners rated cleanliness and hygiene and COVID safety protocol as important factors amongst the list of factors they would like to consider prior to dining at restaurants.

The survey was conducted in Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and a few other metros and smaller cities in India. The study examined the changes in respondents’ dining habits and the current preferences including type of restaurants they would like to visit, type of cuisine they would prefer, the dine-in experience, safety and hygiene protocols.