LIVE INDEX • UPDATED APRIL 5, 2026

Dining Behavior Index

Are people eating out, ordering in, or cooking at home? Track how dining preferences are shifting based on online conversation analysis.

Current Share of Voice
31%
Eat Out
29%
Takeout
40%
Eat at Home

Historical Trends

Track how dining behavior has shifted over time

Share of Voice Over Time

How dining behavior discussions have shifted

Eat Out
Takeout
Eat at Home
0%25%50%75%100%Jan 13Apr 5

Sentiment Over Time

How positive each category's discussions have been

Eat Out
Takeout
Eat at Home
0255075100Jan 13Apr 5

Category Breakdown

Detailed metrics for each dining behavior

Eat Out

Restaurant dining, going out to eat

31%
Share of Voice
42
Sentiment
declining
Positive Themes
Culinary discovery and explorationSocial dining experiencesConvenience factor

Takeout & Delivery

Food delivery apps, ordering in

29%
Share of Voice
65
Sentiment
growing
Positive Themes
Convenience and speedImproving customer experience focusVariety and accessibility of options

Eat at Home

Cooking, meal prep, homemade meals

40%
Share of Voice
82
Sentiment
growing
Positive Themes
convenience and time-savingquality and deliciousness of home mealsaccessibility for beginners

Key Insights

1

The dramatic sentiment gap (82 for home cooking vs 42 for dining out) reveals a post-pandemic shift toward valuing home-centric dining experiences, driven by cost consciousness, health priorities, and the desire for reliable quality control over meals.

2

Takeout & Delivery occupies the sweet spot with moderate sentiment (65) and strong convenience positioning, suggesting it's becoming the compromise solution that bridges the gap between expensive restaurant dining and time-intensive home cooking.

3

Cost emerges as the primary friction point for eat-out experiences while convenience drives positive sentiment across all categories, indicating that brands succeeding in 2024 must solve for both affordability and ease-of-use to capture market share.

Home cooking dominates both conversation volume (40%) and sentiment (82), signaling a fundamental shift in dining preferences toward cost-effective, health-conscious, and controllable meal experiences. The sentiment hierarchy suggests consumers are prioritizing value and reliability over novelty, creating opportunities for brands that can deliver restaurant-quality convenience at home-cooking economics.

Why This Matters

Economic Indicator

Dining out is discretionary spending. When restaurant discussion increases, it often signals consumer confidence. When home cooking trends up, it may indicate economic caution or health consciousness.

Industry Impact

Restaurant chains, delivery apps like DoorDash and UberEats, grocery stores, and meal kit companies all compete for the same consumer decision: "What's for dinner?" This index shows where that attention is going.

Methodology

The Dining Behavior Index uses a two-part analysis:

1. Share of Voice (Content Volume)

We measure the total amount of web content indexed by Google for each category. This includes articles, blog posts, recipes, reviews, and discussions.

2. Sentiment Analysis

We analyze content by theme to determine sentiment (0-100 scale), identify positive themes, and surface concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often is the index updated?

The Dining Behavior Index is updated weekly, capturing the latest web content and sentiment trends.

Why does home cooking have higher sentiment?

Content about home cooking often emphasizes health benefits, cost savings, and family bonding. Restaurant content includes more mixed reviews and price complaints.

Can I track specific restaurant brands?

Yes! Flogent's suite of brand intelligence tools can track any restaurant chain, food delivery service, or grocery brand.

Flogent Insights

Track sentiment for restaurant chains, delivery apps, grocery brands, and custom topics.