+9%
OpenTable saw a 9% increase in experiences in 2024 YoY.*
Top Restaurants > Trends 2025
Trends to watch in 2025
To see where dining is headed, OpenTable looked at the ways people were booking in 2024 and surveyed diners to see what they were looking forward to in 2025. From special dining experiences to going out more frequently, here’s what to look out for next year.
Trends to watch in 2025
To see where dining is headed, OpenTable looked at the ways people were booking in 2024 and surveyed diners to see what they were looking forward to in 2025. From special dining experiences to going out more frequently, here’s what to look out for next year.
1. Experiential dining continues to rise
Diners are craving unique, curated experiences, such as tasting menus, cooking classes, and more.
1. Experiential dining continues to rise
Diners are craving unique, curated experiences, such as tasting menus, cooking classes, and more.
41%
41% of Aussies said they would be more interested in (or doing more) experiential dining in 2025 than they were in 2024. The most popular kinds of dining experiences respondents were interested in trying are tasting menus (39%), special deals/promotional offers (32%), bottomless brunch (31%), and dinner and a show (30%).**
2. Wednesdays are the new Friday
Why wait for the weekend? Mid-week dining is on the rise, with Wednesday emerging as the biggest trending dining day, perhaps due to hybrid or remote working schedules.
2. Wednesdays are the new Friday
Why wait for the weekend? Mid-week dining is on the rise, with Wednesday emerging as the biggest trending dining day, perhaps due to hybrid or remote working schedules.
+6%
Wednesdays and Thursdays were the top trending days of the week on OpenTable with a 6% increase in diners YoY*.
47%
In 2025, 47% of Aussies said they planned to dine out on Thursday if they were to dine out during the week.
3. Special places for special occasions
When it comes down to celebrating life’s big moments, people still flock to their favourite restaurants.
3.Special places for special occasions
When it comes down to celebrating life’s big moments, people still flock to their favorite restaurants.
+18%
In 2024, OpenTable saw an increase in key dining dates with Valentine’s Day increasing by 18%, Mother’s Day by 12% and Father’s Day by 15%*.
78%
78% of Aussies would choose a restaurant to celebrate special occasions. The top reasons for this include that dining out brings people together (65%) and provides a memorable way to celebrate (47%).
4. People are hungry to go out
We are so back. In an age of uncertainty, one thing is for sure: people are ready to go out next year.
4. People are hungry to go out
We are so back. In an age of uncertainty, one thing is for sure: people are ready to go out next year.
58%
58% of respondents said they plan to dine more at restaurants in 2025 than they did in 2024.**
84% & 72%
This is lead by younger generations: 84% of Gen Z and 72% of Millennials plan to dine more at restaurants in 2025.**
*OpenTable looked at online reservations for all restaurants active on the OpenTable platform from January 1 – September 30, 2024 and compared it to the same range in 2023. The cuisine category is self-determined by restaurants.
**An online survey was conducted by PureSpectrum among 1002 Australian consumers. Within this sample, major cities have been weighed for direct comparison. The research fieldwork took place between 25 October – 4 November, 2024.
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