Where are we spending our food dollars? Why are we skipping dessert? What stores are tempting us with junk food?

"Let's eat out," we suggest to one another more and more frequently these days.  But when we do dine away from home, we're may skip dessert. No, it's not because we're counting calories. Sugary treats may not be offered to us at the restaurant, but they're staring us in the face at store check-out counters.  Let's look into the details on all these matters which have been in the news recently.

Billions spent on food--where?

In March 2015, the Chicago Tribune reported that, for the first time ever, Americans spent more in restaurants and bars ($5.4 billion) than in grocery stores ($50.1 billion).  These statistics placing restaurants and bars in the lead come from the Commerce Department.

However, the figures given above may be skewed because retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Costco sell food in addition to all their other merchandise, but these stores are not included in the statistics given above.

Of interest also are these questions: which age groups are patronizing restaurants most and where are they choosing to eat?  The National Restaurant Association says that Millennials prefer fast food, pizza, and ethnic restaurants over fancier, more expensive spots. (Note: The website Graphic Sociology defines the Millennial Generation as those born between 1977-1992). Folks 51-69 years old age are much less willing than Millennials to spend a sizable chunk of their food budget at restaurants.  They're spending their money at grocery stores about 45% more of the time.

Do restaurants want diners to order dessert?

Think about this:  The last time you had lunch or dinner in a restaurant (probably not long ago), did your server bring you a dessert menu or even suggest that you order dessert?  If you weren't eating at an expensive restaurant, the answer is probably "No."  The economics of dessert is clearly explained in a Washington Post article entitled "Why many restaurants don't actually want you to order dessert."

Why not? Aren't they in the business of selling food?  Yes, but only when they can profit from it.  Here's the lowdown: Most restaurants strive for rapid turnover.  The more customers they can fit in for a particular meal, the greater their profit.  Dessert slows down turnover for the sale of a relatively inexpensive item.  Over dessert and coffee, diners may linger almost an additional hour.  Here's another reason that desserts are often not profitable, explained in the Washington Post article: "The cost of serving a house-prepared line of desserts includes employing a pastry chef and dedicated space in the kitchen to the craft." Some restaurants avoid these problem by serving only simple desserts that can be prepared by line cooks; others outsource the traditional sweet conclusion to an American meal. 

The article points out that at high-end restaurants where customers may be willing to pay more than $20 just for dessert, the sweet is not being served at a loss.  But don't expect mid-priced restaurants to be eager to entice you to select a gooey goody from a tray full of elaborate pastries.

Nevertheless, the Washington Post article does not predict that desserts will disappear from most restaurant menus. The author is simply saying that your server would prefer you to ask for a check after you finish eating your entrée--unless you an alcoholic beverage along with your cake. Alcoholic beverages bring restaurants the biggest profit, so they're willing to serve them at any time in the meal, before, during, or after.

What does the check-out lane have to offer customers?

At most stores, almost nothing that's good for you is on display near the cashier, according to a small study conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a well-known consumer advocacy group.  The items you find there tempt you to impulsively buy junk food that's high in calories and low in nutrients--candy, chips, sweetened teas, and sodas.  

The CSPI study of 30 retailers around the D.C. area (recently discussed in the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter) found only 2% of the items on display were healthy (fruit, vegetables nuts), and only 8% were labeled "healthier" (for example, granola bars and trail mix).  These generalizations applied not only to places that sold food elsewhere in the store but also to non-food chain retailers, such as office supply stores and hardware stores.  [Note:  In Chicago's north suburban area, where I live, it's common to see energy drinks such as Monster etc. displayed at checkout.]  To reach a full report on the CSPI study, go to "Sugar Overload Checkout Promotes Obesity."

Believe it or not, some stores are actually fighting obesity by banning candy sales at checkout. To read more about that astonishing development, go to "Grocery Chain Bans Candy at the Checkout--Will Yours Be Next?" http://couponsinthenews.com/2014/01/24/grocery-chain-bans-candy-at-the-checkout-could-yours-be-next/    Other articles on this topic are also listed in google.e's

Source(s):

washingtonpost.com "Why many restaurants don't actually want you to order dessert,"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/10/why-restaurants-dont-always-want-you-to-order-dessert/

thesocieteypages.org "Who is the millennial generation?"

http://thesocietypages.org/graphicsociology/2011/10/04/who-is-the-millennial-generation-pew-research/

Chicago Tribune, "Dining out moves into the lead," April 15, 2005.

University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, "The checkout challenge," July 2015.