More than 40% split the bill when eating out

Inflation in restaurants

The majority only pay for their own consumption

Rising prices in the catering industry not only affect the frequency of restaurant visits, but also social behavior.

Do you want to dine comfortably at a restaurant at night? This is becoming increasingly difficult for some respondents due to inflation and rising prices, as shown in the “State of Hospitality Report 2025”. Based on this, more than half (58 per cent) of people are eating out less frequently due to rising costs – both alone and with friends. But that’s not the only thing some Germans are changing about their eating habits.

Anyone who still meets friends at a restaurant or bar is very concerned about the prices and the amount they have to pay at night: 42 percent said they would prefer to pay for what they order themselves. One in five (19 percent) want to split the total bill evenly. There are many reasons for this: fear of a complicated bill, the composition of the group or the reason for visiting a restaurant. Nearly a quarter (26 percent) avoid the hustle and bustle by being invited.

Another way to avoid bill confusion is to go out to eat alone. But for many people, this is not a decisive argument. Many (39 percent) said they just wanted to do something nice for themselves. Other answers from survey respondents were that they took a lunch break and preferred to eat alone (26 percent) and/or just wanted to enjoy peace and quiet (23 percent).

In contrast, one in five (18 percent) want to try a new restaurant that their friends/family don’t want to go to (9 percent). Another reason: Nearly one in ten (11 percent) eat alone because they don’t want to give the impression to friends or family that they spent money on expensive food.

Eating out less is just one way to reduce costs and is not acceptable to everyone. Those who still pamper themselves by visiting restaurants prefer to skip appetizers (34 percent) and/or dessert (33 percent). It’s also popular to choose a cheaper restaurant (29 percent) or bring leftovers (22 percent). Sharing a main course also occurs – but in just under one in ten (11 per cent) and is therefore relatively rare.

The survey shows how inflation has affected some people’s eating habits and social lives and how they feel about it. If you don’t want to go to a restaurant together for financial reasons, you can invite people to cook together in the evening. This is easy to do and strengthens collaboration.

1,386 people over the age of 18 took part in the online survey. The results listed here refer to the answers of respondents domiciled in Germany. The analysis was conducted by market research provider Medallia on behalf of Lightspeed, a financial services provider.