How Guests Discover New Restaurants in 2026

Americans are eating out more adventurously than ever. In 2025, 64% of guests said they tried a new restaurant in the past month* — a massive leap from just 39% who said the same in 2024. That 25-percentage-point jump signals a real shift in dining behavior, and it's creating a wide-open opportunity for restaurants that know how to get in front of new customers.

But discovery doesn't happen by accident. Where do guests first hear about a new spot? What makes them actually walk through the door? And how does all of this vary by generation, geography, and income? To find out, Toast conducted a blind survey of 1,466 U.S. adults between October 9-15, 2025, who had dined in, ordered takeout, or ordered delivery in the last three months. Let’s dive in. 

How often are guests trying new restaurants?

On average, surveyed guests said they ordered from 3.3 different restaurants in the past month, up from 3.1 in 2024, a 6.5% increase. That may sound like a modest increase, but across the industry, it can represent a significant expansion in where dining dollars are going.

That exploration isn't evenly distributed. Guests in cities are leading the charge, ordering from an average of 3.5 restaurants per month — likely driven by denser restaurant landscapes and more delivery options. Income plays a role, too: The higher the household income, the more restaurants guests are ordering from.

And while guests are branching out, they're not abandoning their go-to spots. The average guest considers themselves a regular at 2.7 restaurants, up from 2.4 in 2024, a 12.5% increase. Most visit those regular spots somewhere between once a week and once a month. In other words, guests aren't just trying new places — they're adding to their rotation.

Key Takeaway: Diners are expanding their restaurant repertoire while maintaining loyalty to existing favorites, creating new opportunities without cannibalizing regulars.

How do guests find new restaurants?

When it comes to how guests actually find new restaurants, the old standbys still lead. Word of mouth is the top discovery channel at 38%, followed by in-person discovery — simply walking or driving past a location — at 30%.

After that, the landscape gets more fragmented and more digital. Social media is the next biggest category, with Facebook (27%), Instagram (15%), YouTube (15%), and TikTok (14%) all playing a role. TV ads and map apps each account for 18% of discovery, and search engine results come in at 16%.

In reality, no single channel dominates beyond word of mouth. Discovery is a multi-touchpoint game, which means restaurants that show up consistently across several channels — a strong Google Maps presence, an active social feed, solid reviews — are the ones most likely to break through.

Key Takeaway: Restaurant discovery requires a multi-channel strategy; showing up consistently across digital and physical touchpoints maximizes your chances of reaching new guests.

Why is TikTok so important for restaurant discovery?

TikTok is the #1 restaurant discovery channel for Gen Z at 38%, surpassing all other platforms including word of mouth. The generational split in discovery channels is striking. For Gen Z, social media isn't just one channel among many — it's the primary way they find new places to eat.

But TikTok's influence drops off sharply with older cohorts. For Gen X and Boomers+, the platform remains largely untapped as a discovery tool, suggesting significant room for growth — or at the very least, a reason for restaurants to think carefully about which audiences they're reaching on which platforms.

Key Takeaway: Restaurants targeting younger diners should prioritize TikTok, while those serving older demographics may see better returns from traditional channels.

How Does Location Affect Restaurant Discovery?

Where guests live changes how they find restaurants. Urban diners rely more on social media for discovery, while suburban diners rely more on word of mouth and physical location. In suburban areas, word of mouth and physical location carry more weight — neighbors talk, and a new sign on Main Street still turns heads. In urban settings, those channels are less influential, while social media plays a stronger role. City dwellers, surrounded by more options and more noise, say they are more likely to discover their next meal through a screen than through a conversation.

For restaurants in different markets, this has practical implications. A suburban operator might get more mileage from a visible storefront and strong community ties. An urban operator may need to invest more heavily in their digital presence and social strategy to stand out.

Key Takeaway: Tailor your discovery strategy to your location—suburban restaurants benefit from visibility and community presence, while urban restaurants need stronger digital footprints.

What factors con

Discovery is only half the equation. Once a guest knows a restaurant exists, what tips them from awareness to action?

• Price/value: 55%

• Food quality: 51%

• Menu variety: 43%

• Location/convenience: 43%

Notably, none of these are things a flashy ad can promise on its own. They're the kinds of details guests look for in menus, reviews, and recommendations, which, once again, hit home the importance of a strong, consistent presence across discovery channels. The restaurant that shows up with clear pricing, appetizing menu photography, and a convenient location on the map is the one that converts curiosity into a first visit.

Key Takeaway: Converting discovery into visits requires demonstrating value, quality, and convenience across all your digital touchpoints.

What this means for restaurants

The data paints a clear picture: Guests are more willing to try new restaurants than they were a year ago, and they're discovering those restaurants through an increasingly digital, increasingly fragmented set of channels. The restaurants best positioned to capture that growing appetite for exploration are the ones that show up everywhere a potential guest might look — and deliver on the fundamentals of value, quality, and convenience once they get there.

The opportunity is real. The question is whether you're visible enough to take advantage of it.

Methodology: Toast conducted a blind survey from October 9-15, 2025. of 1,446 adults based in the U.S. who dined in, ordered takeout, or ordered delivery in the last three months. Respondents were not made aware that Toast was fielding the study. Panel providers granted incentives to restaurant respondents for participation. Using a standard margin of error calculation, at a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error on average is +/- 2%.

*NOTE: the timelines of the 2025 and 2024 surveys are roughly Sept 9-Oct 9, 2025 & Jan 14-Feb 24, 2024