The Lunch Rush Is Dead as Americans Live for the Weekend

Monday, May 20, 2024

Office workers are pinching lunchtime pennies to splurge on weekend meals and happy hour drinks, new transaction data shows.

Posted by LampLighter at 12:30 PM | 23 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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More from the article...

... More consumers are saving their workday lunch money to burn when they're off the clock.

The rise of hybrid work has kept many bars' and restaurants' lunchtime business from recovering to pre-pandemic levels, according to data the digital payments platform Square released Tuesday.

But while weekday transaction volumes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. were down 3.3% last year compared with 2019, card taps jumped 4.2% on weekends and 0.3% during weekday happy hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Square data comes as foot traffic rebounds in major U.S. cities' downtowns far faster on evenings and weekends than during workdays, University of Toronto researchers have found.

These signs point to a new normal for Americans' post-pandemic leisure spending, which has stayed resilient despite the higher costs of going out. Fast food chains are launching promotions to lure back diners turned off by price hikes, and alcohol brands are pushing canned cocktails as bar and restaurant menu tabs rise faster than grocery bills. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-05-19 07:50 PM | Reply

Kings - This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide (1980)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt...

genius.com

...
Nothing matters but the weekend
From a Tuesday point of view
Like a kettle in the kitchen
I feel the steam begin to brew
...

(fwiw, that video is a fav of mine. It shows the band at various stages in its career.)

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-05-19 07:58 PM | Reply

Of course, then on Monday morning, there may be this...

Helen Schneider with The Kick - Weekend (1983)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt...

Wow, genius.com says, "nothing here."

OK, the line in the song I like is...

"What happened to the weekend? I hope I spent it with a friend."

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-05-19 08:05 PM | Reply

Everybody's working for the weekend.

#4 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-05-19 09:01 PM | Reply

@#4 ... Everybody's working for the weekend. ...

yep.

But now seeming to saving their cash that had been spent on weekday lunches for the weekend splurge.

I remember, in a prior life, at lunch we (from top manager of the location to little ole me and others) used to go to a local pizzeria for lunch during the week. Sometimes multiple times per week.

Yeah there was, obviously, pizza. But the beer. It flowed. Flowed may be an understatement. Gushed may be a better verb. This was the 1970's, before DUI laws had kicked in.

The afternoons of those days were not productive. (understatement)

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-05-19 09:22 PM | Reply

10% reduction in lunch crowds. Could this be due to remote work?

#6 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2024-05-20 11:02 AM | Reply

A decent lunch these days will cost you around $20, more with a tip, and that's without any drinks. Add to that the fact that many working folks are happily working from home theses days and it's not surprising that restaurants' lunch business is down.

#7 | Posted by qcp at 2024-05-20 01:03 PM | Reply

Thanks to Biden's economy.

#8 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2024-05-20 01:36 PM | Reply | Funny: 3

"Biden's economy ... "

The U.S. has the highest economic growth with +2.5% in 2023 and +2.1% expected in 2024. Among G7 nations, Germany has the least expected growth with -0.3% in 2023 and +0.5% in 2024.

www.axios.com

#9 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-05-20 01:57 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 2

"Thanks to Biden's economy."

What a riot.

Trump gives $2.3 Trillion in tax cuts to the world's wealthiest, all on newly borrowed money injected into the system, and his sycophants can't even explain the Econ 101 definition of what drives inflation.

#10 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-05-20 02:05 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 5

Thanks to Biden's economy.
#8 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

Having the flexibility to work from home and not waste $15 on lunch is now a bad thing. Republicans are nothing without their constant victim complex.

#11 | Posted by JOE at 2024-05-20 02:12 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

You are all expecting too much from lfthndturds.

The guy bragged about taking ivermectin to combat Covid and is a proud MAGAt.

He's as dumb as they get.

#12 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-05-20 03:02 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

#5 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER

I used to go smoke a bowl at lunch. And my afternoons were pretty productive. The sativa kept me moving. :)

#13 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2024-05-20 03:26 PM | Reply

#12 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-05-20 03:02 PM | Reply | Flag

It beats the hell out of taking a daily dose of Dovato for engaging in an act that the Surgeon General warned you against.

#14 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2024-05-20 03:47 PM | Reply

It beats the hell out of taking a daily dose of Dovato for engaging in an act that the Surgeon General warned you against.
#14 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTURDS

I'm sure that's a scathing statement.

But what is Dovato and which statement by the Surgeon General are you referring to?

Busy day for you at the straw factory.

#15 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-05-20 04:02 PM | Reply

Fact is the American economy under Biden is beating the world average.

The 10 Largest Economies in the World

The U.S. remains tops by a wide margin in the wake of COVID-19, while other countries are grappling with recessions.
By Tim Smart
Feb. 22, 2024

The United States is the undisputed heavyweight when it comes to the economies of the world. America's gross domestic product in 2022 was more than 40% greater than that of China, the world No. 2. Even more striking, U.S. GDP was over five times that of the next two largest economies, Japan and Germany.Feb 22, 2024

www.usnews.com's%20gross%20domestic%20product%20in,largest%20economies%2C%20Japan%20and%20Germany.

LFTHNDTURDS Thinks facts are funny!

#16 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-05-20 04:08 PM | Reply

Fact is the American economy under Biden is beating the world average.

#16 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-05-20 04:08 PM | Reply | Flag

Here's a fact for you... The US isn't electing a president based on how well or terrible the rest of the world is doing.

#17 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2024-05-20 09:11 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Thanks to Biden's economy.
#8 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

Having the flexibility to work from home and not waste $15 on lunch is now a bad thing. Republicans are nothing without their constant victim complex.

Posted by JOE at 2024-05-20 02:12 PM | Reply

Employers to workers: You can't afford a house? Cut out eating avocado toast and save money.

Workers stop eating out for lunch.

Employers: No wait, that's not what we meant.

#18 | Posted by Nixon at 2024-05-21 08:21 AM | Reply

not waste $15

After COVID restrictions were lifted, I went downstairs to the cafeteria where I used to buy a slice of pizza once in a while for lunch. The price came up $7.95. I told the cashier I only had one slice. She said that was the price for one slice. I paid and haven't been back since. If I want pizza for lunch I will buy a digiornio for $4 cut it into 8 slices and freeze them seperately and cook them in the toaster over at work.

#19 | Posted by Nixon at 2024-05-21 08:27 AM | Reply

#17 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

Here's a fact for you - that extra chromosome ain't helping.

#20 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-05-21 01:21 PM | Reply

Here's a fact for you... The US isn't electing a president based on how well or terrible the rest of the world is doing.

#17 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

Here's a fun fact for you ... . You never have any actual facts. Just more maga musings.

Trumpy inherited a strong economy and was riding on the coattails of a ten year economic recovery by Obama (after the last republican crashed the economy).

And Trumpy blew it by not handing the pandemic well and then turned over an economy that was once again crashing. So Biden inherited a crashing economy and a pandemic raging out of control. He brought the pandemic under control (in spite of republicans) and brought the economy back as good or better than Trumpy's before the crash (once again in spite of republicans).

We don't have to compare Biden to other countries. Just the Previous Guy.

Which should make the choice very easy. Except to you weak minded uneducated maga maroons, of course.

#21 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-05-21 02:07 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Trump gives $2.3 Trillion in tax cuts to the world's wealthiest, all on newly borrowed money injected into the system,

Lets not forget $800 BILLION in PPP loans that were magically forgiven AND the expenses paid for with TAX FREE MONEY were allowed to be deducted generating even more tax free money.

#22 | Posted by Nixon at 2024-05-22 08:00 AM | Reply

. If I want pizza for lunch I will buy a digiornio for $4 cut it into 8 slices and freeze them seperately and cook them in the toaster over at work.

#19 | POSTED BY NIXON AT 2024-05-21 08:27 AM | REPLY

No reason to punish yourself like that.

#23 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-05-22 08:29 AM | Reply