Study: People love to dine out more than ever in Puerto Rico

The EAT study reaffirms that consumers in Puerto Rico value the experience of going to restaurants as a space to share with family and friends, and as a means to relax and forget about daily worries.

By The Star Staff

Consumers in Puerto Rico show a high level of loyalty to restaurants, including increasing levels of use and average spending, maintaining the historical results observed in 2023, a study shows.

On Thursday, the Puerto Rico Restaurant Association (ASORE by its acronym in Spanish) presented the results of the ASORE Trends Study (EAT) 2024, conducted by The Research Office.

“This ASORE study confirms again, even more forcefully than the previous ones, that consumers love and need restaurants in their lifestyles,” said José Alfonso of The Research Office. “One of the most impressive data is that 88% of all users agree that going out to a restaurant with their family or friends gives them an unparalleled opportunity to socialize and represents the best use of their free time.”

ASORE President Carlos Budet highlighted that “the results of the EAT 2024 study reaffirm that consumers in Puerto Rico are not only loyal to restaurants by choice but because they have become an essential part of their daily lives.”

“The reality of the country has transformed visiting restaurants into a necessity that offers convenience, security, and the possibility of enjoying experiences in an environment suitable for socializing and disconnecting from daily challenges,” Budet added.

The study reaffirms that consumers value the experience of going to restaurants as a space to share with family and friends and as a means to relax and forget about daily worries. In fact, 80% of those surveyed indicated that they prefer to invest in restaurant experiences rather than cooking at home, thus reinforcing the importance of the industry in the social life of Puerto Rico residents.

Other key findings from the EAT 2024 study include:

1. Quick-service restaurants (QSR): Leading in usage with 90% of consumers visiting them, up 4 percentage points from 2023. On average, consumers visit such restaurants 7.4 times per month and spend $24 per occasion.

2. Casual restaurants: They are the second most frequented type of restaurant, with nearly 50% of consumers using them. The average number of visits has increased from 2.8 times per month in 2023 to 3.7 in 2024, with average spending of $52 per visit.

3. Family restaurants: Used by 33% of consumers, with an average spend of $56 per occasion.

4. Pizzerias: 27% of consumers visit pizzerias regularly.

5. Fine dining restaurants: These restaurants have seen an increase in usage, with an average frequency of 4.5 times per month, and an average spend per visit of $102.

6. Overall satisfaction: Nine out of 10 consumers are satisfied with multiple aspects of the industry, such as delivery time, service quality, restaurant cleanliness, and staff courtesy.

7. Increase in total spending: Average monthly restaurant spending has increased to $622 in 2024, representing an increase of $27 compared to the previous year, driven primarily by increased visits to certain restaurants.

8. Industry competition: Consumers have shown themselves to be careful with their spending, but they benefit from competition in the industry, which offers them better options in terms of value for their money.

The EAT 2024 study was conducted through 1,000 in-person interviews throughout Puerto Rico, targeting users who have frequented limited-service restaurants (such as quick-service restaurants) in the past three months, or full-service restaurants in the past six months. Fieldwork was conducted between Aug. 31 and Sept. 22, 2024. The estimated margin of error for the total sample of 1,000 participants is plus or minus 3%.