---
title: "Pandemic-Changed Eating Habits Likely To Remain"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/ded00eed-e499-461c-9df4-f482ed8ed9dd
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/pandemicchanged_eating_habits_likely_to_remain.html
author: "Kerry Pipes"
category: "General"
published: 2021-10-20T08:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:11:46.102Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/6321_plate.jpg
---

# Pandemic-Changed Eating Habits Likely To Remain

**TL;DR:** The Covid-19 pandemic has altered consumer dining habits, with 70% of diners recently ordering from a food truck, pop-up restaurant, or ghost kitchen. Consumers are showing a growing interest in experiential, cost-efficient, and convenient dining options.

*By Kerry Pipes, originally published in Franchising.com on 2021-10-20. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/pandemicchanged_eating_habits_likely_to_remain.html).*

## Story

Consumers are now carrying out (27%) or eating drive-thru (23%) more than they were pre-pandemic, according to the latest “The Why? Behind The Dine™” from Acosta and its foodservice arm, CORE Foodservice. It’s looking more and more likely that many consumer dining habits have been forever altered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Consumers are showing a growing interest in experiential, cost-efficient, and convenient dining options. The report reveals 70% of diners have recently ordered from a food truck, pop-up restaurant, or a ghost kitchen.? These changes are impacting restaurants – and the way they conduct business - from coast to coast.

Here are some other findings from the report: Seventy-five percent of shoppers say they have recently eaten carry-out, dined at a restaurant and/or eaten prepared foods from the grocery store. Fifty-three percent of consumers are dining in restaurants less. Twenty-seven percent of consumers are ordering carry-out more.

Twenty-three percent of consumers are eating drive-thru more. Over half of diners say they want continued Covid-19 safety precautions in restaurants and 44% report noticing higher menu prices. Twenty-eight percent of shoppers say they have recently ordered from a food truck.?

Twenty-three percent of shoppers say they have recently ordered from a pop-up restaurant.? Nineteen percent of shoppers say they have recently ordered from a ghost kitchen.? Rising food costs are also a concern for restaurants and consumers alike, with 44% of diners noticing higher menu prices.

Acosta’s “The Why? Behind The Dine” report was gathered via online surveys conducted between August 1 and August 6, 2021.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- General (sector)
- restaurant industry (topic)
- Kerry Pipes (person)
- pandemic impact (topic)
- consumer behavior (topic)
- food trends (topic)
- dining habits (topic)

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Originally reported by Kerry Pipes, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/pandemicchanged_eating_habits_likely_to_remain.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/ded00eed-e499-461c-9df4-f482ed8ed9dd).