Diners eating out more but less satisfied with restaurants, research finds
People are eating out more than they were 20 years ago but satisfaction with service and food in restaurants has fallen, according to new research by the University of Manchester.
The study found that while people are more likely to eat out with their families, they are less likely to be happy with the experience.
The proportion satisfied with the value for money offered by restaurants fell from 69% to 56% between 1995 and 2015, while satisfaction with the food itself dropped from 81% to 72%.
The proportion who were happy with the service and decor tumbled from 65% to 57% and from 57% to 48% respectively.
The findings were outlined by the university's professor Alan Warde at the British Sociological Association's annual conference in Newcastle this week.
Three researchers compared ratings given in 1995 and in 2015 by 2,100 people in London, Bristol and Preston for their last meal at a restaurant or cafe.
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