Dutch order creatively: appetiser cuts more often than dessert

Rising prices in the hospitality industry are causing guests to spend their money differently when dining out. For instance, almost a third of Dutch people (30%) choose to save on starters and almost a quarter (24%) cut back on desserts. This is according to research conducted among 1,000 Dutch consumers by checkout and payment platform Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (NYSE: LSPD) (TSX: LSPD). Seventeen per cent also choose not to order alcohol to save money, 19 per cent consciously choose to tip less and 11 per cent tend to take home leftovers from their dish to eat later.

Higher commodity prices have had a major impact on profit margins within the hospitality industry, and guests are feeling it on several levels. One in three (29%) continue to notice the effect of shrinkage inflation in the hospitality industry, with portion sizes being reduced but sold at the same price. A quarter of Dutch people notice a lack of staff or fewer staff during busy times. Fifteen per cent even note that the restaurants they go to are open for less time or less often. 

Almost half (47%) ate out less compared to 2023 as a direct result of inflation. This means that the other half will eat out as often (39%) or more (14%) than a year ago. More than half (55%) of Dutch people plan to spend as much as last year and one in ten (9%) even plan to spend more in the hospitality industry. Twelve per cent of those surveyed say they eat out once a week, with five per cent going to restaurants more than once a week. Less than half (44%) say they eat out once or twice a month and more than a third (39%) eat out less than once a month.

"The effect of inflation continues to be felt in the hospitality industry," states Emine Youssef, Lightspeed's Regional Director Hospitality in the Benelux. "To meet the increased costs of running a hospitality business, hospitality entrepreneurs have - often by necessity - raised their prices. Of course, this does not escape consumers who have to watch their own wallets either. While raising menu prices is an understandable choice in the current context, there are other ways that have less impact on guests and can help you cut costs more efficiently. Dive deeper into the performance of your menu, foodcost and workflows, and turn your guests' order and payment data into concrete actions that help optimise your profit margins - and reduce your costs. This is also what Lightspeed does: provide hospitality entrepreneurs with a platform where they can measure and improve the actual impact of their hospitality business."