Consumer Dining Index Rises in December
Restaurants Canada’s Consumer Dining Index (CDI) saw a notable increase in December, likely due to the tax holiday that began on December 14th. The CDI rose to 92.1 in December 2024, compared to 85.1 in December 2023—an eight-percentage point increase. This growth was seen across all dayparts, with Canadians dining out more frequently for breakfast and dinner. Historically, December typically experiences a slowdown, but this year marked a departure from the trend, with growth observed on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis.
On a year-over-year basis, the share of Canadians purchasing breakfast from a restaurant at least once in December increased to 59% in 2024, compared to 54% in December 2023. This growth was driven by Canadians aged 55 and older, with 54% dining out at least once in December—an increase of seven percentage points over December 2023.
For more detailed insights and data, please refer to the latest REACT report here.
Methodology:
Findings in Restaurants Canada’s REACT report are based on a monthly survey conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of Restaurants Canada with a nationally representative sample of 1,500 Canadians who are members of the online Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a sample of this size would result in a margin of error of +/-2.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. 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.
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.
