Amid COVID-19, Black Adults Report Less Comfort Dining at Restaurants

In the restaurant industry, Black History Month is a time to celebrate Black-owned businesses and highlight employee diversity, with major cities hosting Black Restaurant Weeks and several brands and media outlets promoting Black-owned restaurants.

It should be noted, however, that Black diners have been consistently less comfortable with going out to eat at restaurants throughout the pandemic. This gap exists for both indoor and outdoor dining: Black adults are currently at least 10 percentage points less likely than the general population to feel comfortable doing either.

From examining Morning Consult’s high-frequency consumer survey research on COVID-19, it is clear that the coronavirus is having more of an impact on Black adults’ dining decisions. Currently, Black adults are expressing higher levels of concern about the coronavirus: Roughly half (51 percent) say they are very concerned about COVID-19 compared with 37 percent of all adults.

Black adults are also more likely than the general population to take the precaution of wearing a mask. Seventy-one percent say they always wear a mask in public, and nearly 6 in 10 say the same about dining in restaurants specifically. The figures for the general population, meanwhile, are 53 percent and 44 percent, respectively. 

Cooking habits play a role in Black adults’ dining decisions as well. Black adults are 10 percentage points more likely than the general population to cite enjoyment as a major reason for cooking meals at home. Together with safety concerns about the coronavirus, this may be driving down the frequency with which Black adults dine at restaurants.

Black adults also have higher expectations of businesses when it comes to social responsibility. More than half strongly agree that companies should “act in the best interests of the well-being of society” and “positively contribute to local communities” (58 percent and 53 percent, respectively), while just 45 percent and 44 percent of the general population say the same.

This survey research shows how restaurants are missing out on a key customer base whose comfort levels with in-person dining remain low. Prioritizing safety measures, allocating more resources for delivery and takeout options, and reinvesting in local communities may help build trust and loyalty among Black consumers.