Upside Releases Annual Report Showing Restaurant Diners Are More Uncommitted Than Ever in 2025
Billions of transactions and consumer surveys shed new light on shifting diner behavior and how restaurants’ strategies are performing.
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 9, 2025 — Upside today released its Consumer Spend Report 2025, powered by more than 10 billion transactions and 11,000 survey responses. The findings reveal that restaurant diners are increasingly uncommitted — visiting more locations, comparing value more frequently, and shifting their spending based on deals, convenience, and budget pressure.
The report also finds that some of the very investments restaurants made to improve accessibility — from expanded delivery and takeout options to upgraded loyalty programs — have unintentionally made it easier for diners to compare across competitors and switch between concepts.
“Convenience investments made it easier to meet customers where they were,” said Dr. Thomas Weinandy, Principal Economist at Upside. “But they also lowered the barriers to switching. In 2025, diners are spreading their spend with greater frequency — and businesses are feeling that volatility.”
According to the report, the average diner now visits four different restaurants per month, a 3% increase year over year. This rise in cross-visiting is happening despite restaurants’ innovations across digital ordering, loyalty, menu optimization, and new service formats.
Key restaurant-specific findings from the report:
- Diners are comparing their options more frequently.
The average customer now visits four different restaurants per month, a 3% increase year over year. And more than a third of diners compare prices or evaluate promotional offers frequently — a sign that value perception is influencing both where and when people eat out. - Loyalty matters, but engagement isn’t keeping pace.
While nearly all customers say loyalty rewards are important, just two in five diners use restaurant loyalty programs consistently, pointing to a widening expectations gap. - Restaurant behavior is divided by an income gap.
Year-over-year, those with household incomes below $75,000 per year said they spent 1% less on dining, while those with higher incomes reported spending 33% more. There’s a dramatic split in demand patterns today, and higher spending from higher earners is masking a pullback.
Download the full report to unpack the latest diner dynamics and the retailer responses beginning to resonate.
High-Resolution images are HERE or easy access to the report HERE.
ABOUT UPSIDE
Upside is a marketplace that connects consumers with brick and mortar retailers through personalized offers. Since 2016, Upside’s AI-driven personalization technology has helped millions of people get more purchasing power on the things they need. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform every year, and that value goes directly back to our retailers, the consumers they serve, and towards important sustainability initiatives. For more: www.upside.com.
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