Takeout trends: Big data for small restaurants

Restaurant operators already have a strong sense of who orders what from their takeout menu. Now new data provided by online/mobile food ordering company GrubHub is providing a broader perspective of takeout trends nationwide. If you’re looking to boost this part of your business, here’s what customers are hungry for now.

GrubHub’s report analyzes a full year’s worth of pick-up and delivery orders from the 30,000 restaurants in its network. Many of the results are reported out by gender.

“Our gender analysis helps us better understand the inclinations and motivations of men and women, as well as how those inclinations factor into takeout ordering decisions," says GrubHub president Jonathan Zabusky. He adds that GrubHub data, including customer order profiles and preferences, allows restaurants to “make best use of their menus and direct diners to the foods they are most likely to enjoy."

Some of the statistics confirm that certain stereotypes of gender-based dining habits may not be far off the mark. Consider this list of food fads that are more popular with men than with women, according to GrubHub:

• Bacon—nearly 35 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Poutine—nearly 30 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Sriracha—nearly 17 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Biscuits—more than 13 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Fried chicken—more than 7 percent more commonly ordered by men.

In contrast, these food fads resonate more strongly with women than men:

• Chia seeds—nearly 74 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Pressed juice—nearly 74 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Cupcakes—more than 73 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Frozen yogurt—more than 65 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Beets—nearly 63 percent more commonly ordered by women.

What male and female customers want

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Wondering why a food trend has or hasn’t caught on with your restaurant’s clientele? Thinking about whether you should add or subtract some healthier items from your takeout menu? This data may provide useful guidance.

A look at the takeout menu items more likely to be ordered by men than by women produces similar results: Men seem to gravitate toward the less-healthy choices. Here are the items GrubHub data shows men prefer.

• 2-liter soda—nearly 54 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Boneless wings—nearly 54 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Chicken Parmesan—more than 53 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• General Tso's chicken—more than 51 percent more commonly ordered by men.

• Bacon cheeseburger—more than 45 percent more commonly ordered by men.

Women strongly prefer these items relative to men:

• Seaweed salad—nearly 63 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Edamame—nearly 60 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Avocado rolls—nearly 57 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• House salad—nearly 53 percent more commonly ordered by women.

• Shrimp tempura roll—nearly 51 percent more commonly ordered by women.

Careful interpretation of this and other data could be useful in several ways. For example, if your restaurant stays open late at night, be aware than men are nearly 55 percent more likely to order takeout in the 10 p.m.-2 a.m period. You’d probably want to slant your menu toward male-heavy food preferences then.

Or if you get a lot of takeout business from nearby office workers, be aware that women are nearly 30 percent more likely to order food at work than men. If that’s the case for your operation, adding more healthful-type items to your menu could boost business.

Many market researchers have a strong preference for actual transaction data (such as GrubHub is offering here) instead of survey results. It shows actual behavior, not just opinions. Keep this data source in mind the next time you tinker with your takeout menu.