To Dine Out or Order In? The Typical Weeknight Delimma

Everybody has those days where cooking dinner just doesn’t sound like something you want to do. Whether you’ve had a long day at work, aren’t feeling well, or your kitchen is a mess, you aren’t alone in this predicament. Thousands of Americans every day come home from work and face the same decision you do: should we go out to eat or order food delivery? In this day and age the restaurant options are endless and range from fast food to fast casual and all the way up to fine dining. Below are a few things to consider when choosing between going out to a restaurant in your area or ordering food delivery:

1. Comfort – Depending on what kind of day you’ve had, comfort could be at the top of your priority list while you eat dinner. For some, comfort can be sitting at restaurants with linen napkins and an incredible menu, but for others comfort looks more like ordering food delivery so that you can change into relaxing clothes and eat on the couch while watching a movie or television show that you love. What does comfort mean to you?

2. Time – It seems that time is hard to come by these days. There aren’t enough hours in the day to finish everything that needs to get done. We live by to-do lists and other types of organizational tools so when it comes to dinner sometimes we just don’t want it to take very long. Often times food delivery services are quick and allow you to be getting things done at your home while the food is being prepared and brought to you. Sometimes saving that amount of time makes all the difference!

3. Service – Another aspect to consider when choosing between dining out or having food delivered is service. Sometimes going to your favorite restaurant and being waited on by a server with an upbeat attitude can really brighten your day. Other times you may go out to dinner expecting an experience like that only to receive bad service that really brings you down. Sometimes ordering from a food delivery service is a great way that something like this doesn’t happen.

There’s no doubt that Americans love to dine out. In 2014 alone the food and drink sales of the U.S. restaurant industry were forecasted to exceed nearly 700 billion. Even in single states, like Florida there are almost a million restaurants and food service jobs, which represents 14 percent of employment in the entire state! What’s really telling is that by 2026, that number is projected to grow by approximately 18 percent which will add 173,000 new jobs in the industry. The next time you are wondering where to eat on a weeknight, consider your value on comfort, time, and service before you decide. You’ll be glad you did!