Dear MEL Topic Readers,
‘We don’t sell loneliness’: Solo dining is more popular than ever, much
to the distaste of some restaurants
While hotels and airlines welcome and accommodate solo travelers
happily, many restaurants are reluctant, or even reject, to serve solo diners,
especially during busy hours. That’s because their revenue is structured mostly
by per-room, per-seat, and per-table revenues. Also, in many cultures, as meals
are meant to be shared, such as Chinese hot pot, Korean BBQ, and Spanish paella,
restaurants arrange tables for parties. However, according to an online
table-booking site, solo diners increased nearly 20% last year, and spent more money
per person. Indeed, lone diners are no longer a puzzle piece to fill up empty
space, but also growing business opportunities for restaurants. For example, a Korean
version of Google Maps offers a filter to search for solo-diner-friendly restaurants.
Also, more restaurants are rearranging seating space to accommodate single
customers with counter tables, like fast-food restaurants in Japan. Maybe it’s
time for restaurants to reconfigure their business models from per-table to per-seat
and their menus to welcome and please more single customers.
Read the article and learn what lone diners could mean to restaurants.
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