Gen Z Looks for Special Offers When Choosing a Restaurant

Restaurants looking to win the spending of young customers now, securing loyalty for years or even decades to come, may find that they can woo Gen Z diners with special offers, deals and events.

By the Numbers

In the latest edition of PYMNTS’ exclusive Connected Dining report, “Connected Dining: Word of Mouth in the Digital Age,” which draws from a May survey of a census-balanced panel of more than 2,200 U.S. consumers, we look at how different consumer demographics learn about restaurants in the digital world.

The study revealed that the majority of Gen Z consumers (54%) report that they search for restaurant information by looking at advertisements, such as special offers or events, a greater share than any other generation and 4% higher than the share of the total population that said the same — 50%.

The Data in Action

Certainly, many restaurants are looking to get smarter about their deals and promotions.

In an interview with PYMNTS, Stacey Pool, chief marketing officer at fast-casual brand Noodles & Company, which has more than 450 locations across 31 states, noted that consumers want these kinds of offers as often as every day.

“One thing that we found is that most of our members said, ‘We would come more often if we felt like we were getting something every time we come,’ and it doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be the same thing every single time,” Pool said. “This was all really driven by what our rewards members were telling us would engage them and would get them to come back more often.”

Plus, Lauriena Borstein, chief brand officer of fast-casual chains Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Zoup Eatery, argued in an interview with PYMNTS that special offers are a no-brainer.

“[A loyalty program] doesn’t feel like it’s a hard sell,” Borstein said. “If consumers are going to go out to a restaurant, they can choose between one that is within their platform to be able to gain rewards, or one that isn’t.”