Nearly 75 percent UAE residents said they usually eat out up to twice a week for social and family gatherings and 3 percent said they eat out daily, according to a survey.

As many as 592 respondents participated in the survey conducted by Table Talk.

“Abu Dhabi and Dubai account for 80 percent of total foodservice demand amongst the seven Emirates. The results of the Table Talk survey demonstrate that eating out has become an everyday part of our lives because it is convenient, affordable and gives an opportunity to spend quality time with friends. It is no longer reserved solely for special occasions,” said Maggie Moore, event director, Gulf a la Carte.

“As eating out is becoming increasingly the norm in the UAE, the food and beverage service sector can look forward to increased ROI,” Moore said, adding that UAE is currently host to 11,000 stand alone restaurants, and this figure is expected to increase by over 500 per year. 

In addition, there are 216 hotels due to be developed in the UAE over the next few years. These hotels alone will add another 650 – 700 food and beverage outlets.

The overall profile of the survey respondents presents a fairly even split of variables, with 52 percent female respondents and 48 percent male respondents. 45.6 percent of respondents belonged to the age group of 22-34.

The applied income brackets ranged from less than Dh5,000 ($1,360) to higher than Dh 25,000 ($6,807) per month, with a fairly even split of respondents between all income brackets.
 
“The survey results show us that people from all income brackets are deciding to eat out on a regular basis. Fast food, casual dining and fine dining outlets are all benefiting as consumers choose to eat out more,” Moore said.

Good food and beverage is the most popular reason behind choosing an outlet, 49.5 percent of respondents were influenced by taste and quality of the food. Good value for money was rated higher than good service; with nearly 27 percent of respondents opting for restaurants that offered food worth the price paid, the survey said.

Although good service is not one of the top three reasons respondents considered when choosing to return to a restaurant, more than 87 percent said they would not go back to a restaurant after a bad service experience.

The research showed that most people (44.9 percent) choose a restaurant for the first time following a friend’s recommendation. Of the remaining, 13.6 percent of respondents try a new restaurant, club or café because of group deals and offers from websites such as Yallabanana.com, GoNabit and Cobonne.

Moore said: “The food and beverage service sector has the potential for exponential growth going forward as the consumer base expands with population increase, the rise in the number of tourists in the region and consumers generally choosing to eat out more frequently as well.”

"The Table Talk study will help restaurants and foodservice operators understand their customers dining habits and preferences and how these are set to evolve and potentially impact their businesses,” she said. – TradeArabia News Service