Restaurant operators are all trying to get inside the head of their customers, trying to understand what they want and how to give it to them. But of course what they want depends — on the meal occasion, on the circumstances, and often on their age. 

To tease out what makes consumers tick and why, the Restaurant Leadership Conference hosted a panel of consumers representing different generations. 

Emily Nordee-Rogers, Informa’s vice president and head of restaurant content for conferences, questioned one member each of the Baby Boomer and Gen X generations as well as two millennials and two members of Gen Z.

They started out by sharing their favorite foods, and both Yolanda the boomer and Kira of Gen Z said they loved burgers, while the other Gen Zer, Trenton, said he loves pasta — specifically gnocchi. Max the millennial, a physical therapist, said he loves Mediterranean food and gave a shoutout to CAVA, while the other millennial, Emily, declared her love for nachos.

Julie, the Gen Xer, said she also loves nachos, but not just any nachos — specifically the Asian Chicken nachos at The Cheesecake Factory, as well as the chocolate milk at Dutch Bros.  

The different generations are perceived as consuming media differently, although the panelists all seemed to respond to similar food trends. They also were all aware of the “burger mogging” trend in which burger chain CEOs shared videos of themselves trying their signature items.

In a broader social media context, Trenton, in almost stereotypical Gen Z fashion, said he gets cravings for anything he sees on Instagram, including McDonald’s Grimace Shake. But Julie of Gen X also responded to the promotion of the gooey butter cake from Andy’s Frozen Custard, and she declared her love for oh-so-trendy Dubai Chocolate. 

Emily the millennial said she looks forward to the return of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake every year.

When it comes to food apps on their phones, Gen Z far outpaced the others, with Kira saying she has 19 of them and Trenton has 22. But Julie was next in line, with 10. Emily just has two, and Max has six.

Yolanda said she only had one: Starbucks, and she said she doesn’t really pay attention to its loyalty program offerings. 

Both Gen Zers said they respond well to deals provided on their apps, while Max said he loves the convenience of using the Chipotle app and Julie likes knowing how many orders away she is from getting a free drink.

Kira was the most frequent diner of the group, eating out 20 times a month, having lunch with friends or after school. Max divided his visits into two scenarios — grabbing lunch quickly, but healthy, and going out on weekends with his wife — for a total of six times.

Julie broke it down similarly: “It depends on whether it’s date night and we’re going to go to a nice restaurant or I’m bringing the kids [and asking myself] ‘what am I going to spend $10 on that you’re going to throw in the garbage?”

When it comes to deciding where to eat out, both millennials ranked convenience and health as important factors, although Emily said price was also an important factor unless she’s dining at a “nice” restaurant on the weekends, in which case she worries less about price and health.

Trenton said health “is one of the least of my concerns,” and Kira, a high school student, said she focused mostly on price.

Both Julie and Yolanda said they tried to eat healthily.

When it comes to beverages, Trenton was again on-brand as a Gen Z, saying he actually prioritizes what drinks are available over food. Julie, on the other hand, reflected Gen X assumptions, going to specific places for drinks and different ones for food.

When it comes to technology in restaurants, the panelists agreed that it’s great if it makes ordering and paying easier, but Max said it’s “the worst,” when the tech doesn’t work.

All the generations were pretty-much aligned when it comes to tipping: They’re fine with it for full-service dining but resent being asked for tips in counter-service situations.

When it comes to third-party delivery, Trenton said, “If I really need food, I’m just going to go get it myself,” at least most of the time. Kira had used it in the past when she wanted food after curfew, “but my mom did end up vetoing that.” Max said he didn’t use it until he had a child. Now, “I don’t mind paying the extra fees.”

Julie said she’d rather pick up the food herself, and Yolanda said, “I have never used it, but I’m retired and I have all the time in the world.”