Consumer Dining Index falls in September
The combination of high cost of living, rising menu prices and weak consumer confidence has Canadians cutting back on discretionary spending. As a result, Restaurant Canada’s Consumer Dining Index (CDI) fell to 90.6 in September compared to 100.3 in September 2023. This is due to Canadian households pulling back on the number of visits to restaurants for supper and breakfast when compared to September 2023. The share of Canadians that purchased breakfast once a week or more fell to 11% in September compared to 16% in September 2023. Meanwhile, the share of Canadians who purchased supper from a restaurant once a week or more declined to 30% compared to 33% in September 2023.
Looking ahead consumer sentiment will be relatively unchanged for October compared to September. Overall, there was a three-point reduction in the share of Canadians that intend to dine out less often at either a quick- or table-service restaurant in October compared to September. Instead, they plan to dine out about the same in October as they did in September.
For more detailed insights and data, please refer to the latest REACT report, here.
Methodology: Restaurants Canada’s Consumer Dining Index is calculated as a weighted average of the number of times Canadians purchased a meal or snack from a restaurant in the past month, and then indexed to July 2023.
As the Chief Economist and Vice President of Research for Restaurants Canada, Chris Elliott manages and produces a comprehensive research program that has made Restaurants Canada a leading source of information for and about Canada’s $114-billion foodservice industry. Chris tracks and analyzes key industry and economic indicators and translates them into member reports and publications. He also provides research to support Restaurants Canada’s lobbying efforts on issues that affect foodservice operators – from payroll taxes to food costs.
Chris has worked with Restaurants Canada for over 20 years, has a Bachelor of Arts and Master Degree in Economics and specializes in economic modelling and forecasting.
