Gen Alpha starts working its way into operators’ decision making

When Chipotle this week announced a partnership with 16-year-old influencer Salish Matter, I knew we had turned a corner as an industry.

While Matter herself is technically Gen Z, her audience — more than 37 million followers — is primarily Gen Alpha, or those born after roughly 2013 (can we get an official ruling on this, please?). And they love what Matter tells them to, whether it’s her skincare line or the latest Minions movie, so it makes sense for Chipotle to lean into her organic love of their brand.

Or does it make sense? After all, by the loosest definition, the oldest Gen Alpha would be about 15 now, barely able to earn pocket money to spend at restaurants. Yet a recent study from Bain & Company finds that Gen Alpha’s spending is forecast to grow three times faster than other generations’ by 2030.

But even today, ignoring Gen Alpha ignores the influence children have in their own homes: Technomic reports that roughly 75% of parents say their kids have a say in where they choose to eat when dining away from home, and that number has grown significantly over the years. A Morning Consult study shows that more than 80% of parents of 5-to-12 year olds say their kids ask for a specific restaurant “often” or “sometimes.”

I don’t have kids and therefore make all my own decisions, but friends and colleagues back this up anecdotally, reporting regular trips to McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and 7 Brew. (Luckily, a colleague with a 12-year-old also reports a love of king crab legs, and the 2-year-old of a friend of mine chose pad Thai for his birthday dinner this year).

In a way, it feels like restaurants only recently cracked the code on marketing to Gen Z, the first with lifelong social media and 24/7 Internet access. Sixty-six percent of the generational “cuspers” — ages 14 to 17 — have a restaurant app on their phones, according to Technomic, so they remain important to target.

How?

Also according to Technomic, Gen Alpha prioritizes affordability, menu appeal and speed, followed by craveability and customization. They like pizza, pasta, and chicken, and only 49% are willing to try new flavors. Parents, who presumably still have some amount of control, like to see healthy items.

Families with kids are more likely to eat off premises, so menu items should be designed to travel. Marketing — even if you can’t afford Gen Alpha’s favorite influencers — should be brief, to account for short-form media use. Examples include all of the companies that leaned into “6-7” last year with social-media posts.

Regardless of how you do it or why you do it, or what we learn about these kids as they continue to grow up, the truth remains: They cannot be ignored in your menu planning, operations, and marketing strategies.

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservice Media, encompassing Restaurant Business, Nation's Restaurant News, and Foodservice Director.