Richmonders still aren't dining out for lunch as much as they were before the pandemic.
Driving the news: The average number of lunch transactions was down 14% in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019, according to a new report from Toast, a digital point-of-sale system for restaurants.
Context: Recent reports from the National Restaurant Association suggest consumers' overall restaurant routines are returning to pre-pandemic norms, which makes the lunchtime lag more striking.
Why it matters: Remote and hybrid work have changed people's weekday habits, including how often they visit the restaurants and bars that once depended on the traffic.
Yes, but: People may be lunching out less, but they're spending more.
By the numbers: That worked out to an average lunch tab of $22 for takeout, $24 for dine-in and $31 if the dine-in restaurant was full service, all not including tax and tip.
The intrigue: When it comes to Virginians' weekday lunch tabs, 15% of ticket items are booze, slightly less than the national average of 16% and significantly less than the booziest of lunchtime drinkers, Wisconsinites, who dedicate 30% of their lunch bill to alcohol.
Worth noting: Friday, unsurprisingly, is the busiest day for weekday lunch, so where are we lunching today, Richmond?
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