In a normal month during 2016, the average U.S. family spent:
* $143.70 for food prepared outside the home, including takeout and delivery. That's up from $120.40 in 2015.
* $271.40 on groceries, not including dining out. Millennial diners spent more: $277.70. Baby Boomers spent less: $247
App use increasingly influences dining decisions:
* 19 percent of the time, people used an online or mobile app to plan menus or order meals, up 5 percent since 2015.
* 13 percent of restaurant visits were influenced by a smartphone recommendation.
* 61 percent of diners followed a restaurant on Facebook for coupons or other offers.
From: Acosta, 2017 survey
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
