Increase Your Restaurant Revenue by Targeting Single Men and Women

Martine Wiegand
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2021-11-30

Increase Your Restaurant Revenue by Targeting Single Men and Women

In the 2020s, dining alone is becoming a new norm. Though many restaurants still consider single visitors a waste of resources, in fact, this is a lucrative segment to target if you do it wisely. Let’s figure out why it really makes sense to adjust your restaurant menu and interior to the needs of single men and women.

When eating alone is uncomfortable, you lose clients

Numerous studies prove that solo eating can be a fraught experience for the representatives of both individualist and collectivist cultures (Pliner and Bell, 2009, Brown et al., 2012). Though the idea is quite clear when it comes to collectivist cultures, the discovery regarding individualists was quite interesting. According to the study, single men and women eating alone started to feel isolated and marginalized. A possible reason for that is the stigma of being sad and lonely. People don’t want to look strange or unneeded. As a result, many tourists traveling alone preferred to order food to their place or eat out just to avoid this feeling of loneliness. Yet, while human psychology remains actual, the dining trend is changing.

In 2015, OpenTable carried out another research on single eating and discovered that solo guests represented the fastest-growing segment (by 65%). In 2019, NDP Group found out that 35% of restaurant visitors were single men and women, while couples and groups of four amounted only to 27% and 14% accordingly. So, the trend is obvious. The segment of solo diners is growing, and restaurants that fail to make them feel welcome, lose a potential source of profit.

Solo diners are cheap for the restaurant: Is it true?

Fast table turnover

On the one hand, single men and women eating alone can seem less profitable for your venue than couples and groups. They occupy tables designed for more people, they order smaller portions, they even drink less. On the other hand, solo dining is usually much quicker (71% of meals are eaten under 20 minutes, Yates and Warde). So, the key advantage to the restaurant is that single men or women finish their meals faster, and the table is vacant again.

New market segment

Recent years have been a tough period for the restaurant industry. Targeting single diners can be an effective salvatory strategy. The stats show that the segment of single men and women occupies 35% of U.S. restaurant visits and is steadily increasing (NPD Group). If you look up the info on Yelp, you will clearly see that many people are searching specifically for places suitable for singles. By failing to follow this trend, your restaurant can lose a growing segment of potential visitors.

Extra source for marketing information

Single men and women are often ready to chat with the restaurant staff. And they are much more willing to discuss your venue than groups. You can train your employees to ask solo diners about from and how they heard about your restaurant, their attitude to the interior and menu, what they like and dislike. Turn these guests into your field explorers and reward them for valuable information. Perhaps, they will become your brand advocates in the future.

How to attract solo guests to your restaurant?

For sure, adapting to the needs of single men and women will require changes to the interior and menu, and even staff training. To get some inspiration, you can browse the list of top restaurants for solo eating by OpenTable or check the reviews by solo diners on Yelp. Here are some ideas that we found while analyzing the success stories of top restaurants:

Benihana, Chelsea and Piccadilly (London): creates an exciting dining experience for solo guests in the open kitchen.
Xu, Soho (London): provides special seats and a smart menu for singles.
Riding House Café, Fitzrovia (London): has a large area for solo diners at the bar and at the long picnic table designed for many guests.
Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs, Fitzrovia (London): creates an elaborate chef’s table experience for 20 solo diners simultaneously.
Firedoor (Sydney): improved seating arrangement and menus, introduced tasting menus, made the music more intimate and provided both long picnic tables and small ones.
Rustico Restaurant & Bar (Virginia): hosts over 50 singles-friendly beer events per year.
Amber Restaurant and Lounge (Seattle): organized a multilevel lounge and central bar area.

If you have no time for research, we will share some top tips and particular actions to include in your “Go Solo” strategy in the next post. Stay tuned!

The opening of a bar can be covered on television or radio. But in general, this business can do without much money for promotion in the media. More attention should be paid to the reputation of the bar and bet on word of mouth. A great role is played by the location in a crowded place, respectively, do not forget about the signage that attracts attention.

It is important to declare yourself in popular social networks. Today, the bar should have its own page or publick, where you can post information about current promotions, discounts on the menu. It is allowed to distribute discount cards to regular customers. Popular establishments that are interested in creating a brand, practice the distribution of souvenir products with the logo of the bar – mugs, t-shirts. It is good if such T-shirts are worn by the staff.