Most Americans expect to dine out about as much as before
Core finding
Looking ahead to 2026, most Americans (63%) expect to visit sit-down restaurants about as often as they did the year before, according to a December 2025 Verasight survey.
Those expecting to go less often (17%) and more often (16%) are close to even, and 5% do not plan to dine out at all.
Topline distribution
Most Americans expect to dine out about as much as before.
Compared to 2025, do you expect to do each of the following activities more or less in 2026? Item: Go to a sit-down restaurant
n = 1,000 · Dec 22, 2025 – Jan 5, 2026 · MoE ±3.1%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | United States adults |
| Field dates | Dec 22, 2025 – Jan 5, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.1% |
| Module | predictions |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight for AI and predictions questions; weight_popculture for pop culture questions |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-predictions
- Go to a sit-down restaurant
Cite this question
2026 Predictions Survey #2025-183, fielded December 22, 2025-January 5, 2026, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.