Australians are dining out more than ever before, but don’t expect us to leave a big tip.
After experiencing a tough few years, Australian restaurants have seen dining numbers increase by almost 6% in the last twelve months, according to the nations’ largest ever dining survey.
Western Australia and South Australia has seen the biggest growth with 19% and 10% respectively.
But Australians are tight when it comes to rewarding service, with the survey revealing the average tip to be just 2% of the meal.
The 2014 Australian Dining Index – conducted by Australia’s leading online restaurant reservations website Dimmi.com.au – tracked information from over 2,500 partner restaurants and over 8 million bookings.
Analysing 400,000 verified diner reviews revealed Australian diners were increasingly satisfied with their dining experience, with the average vote being 8.3 out of ten – showing a big improvement from recent years.
Who spends the most and who doesn’t show up
The poll also revealed a 1% increase in premium dining; with Australians spending less on mid-market dining (1%) and cheap eats (2%).
The average spend at restaurants is $57 per person – recovering from a minor drop in previous years. Canberra is still home to the highest spending diners, with foodies spending an average of $64.
Unfortunately diners from Sydney are the most likely to no-show, closely followed by Perth – 1.8% & 0.3% respectively worse than the national average. South Australia is home to the most dedicated restaurant goers, with the lowest no-show rate in the country.
“The Dimmi Annual Dining Index is a collection of statistics that reflects the way we dine in Australia”, said Stevan Premutico, CEO of Dimmi.
“Since Dimmi launched in 2009 the landscape has changed dramatically, our social networks are changing, our mobile reliance has massively increased and these are all being reflected in our statistics.”
Technology brings bookings on the fly
This increase in demand for better dining experiences is accompanied by an overhaul in the way Australians choose, book and review the restaurants they dine in.
Stevan said more than 42% of Dimmi bookings are generated via mobile, demonstrating a decided shift towards bookings made on the fly.
“Australians are spontaneous diners, we think about where we are going to eat on the train, on the way home, and book from our mobile after reading reviews of nearby restaurants,” said Stevan.
“While we dine more casually on a day to day basis, people are still booking in advance and spending up at the more premium restaurants.”
With more options available from online restaurant reviews and bookings, Australians can afford to be more selective about where they chose to dine and even take advantage of special and discounts.
The increase in mobile technology allows diners to book what they want, when they want, while knowing exactly how much they are likely to spend.
So what does this mean for dining in 2014 and beyond?
Stevan said restaurants can expect higher customer standards as industry interest continues to grow. Mobile technology will no doubt continue to drive customer convenience and spontaneity.
Now more than ever, the collective consumer experience is the deciding factor of the success or failure of Australian restaurants.
Read the full Dimmi Australian Dining Index 2014.
