86% of Gen Zers struggle with Menu Anxiety in the UK

[DustinTheHuss]

The quote from NYU business professor Jonathon Haidt is interesting, as NYU is widely regarded as the best in the country for their Marketing Dept.

Zoomers also prefer to order via Door Dash and Uber Eats so that they don't have to leave their rooms, so I could see why they feel anxiety, especially when the server asks for their order. They aren't comfortable with interpersonal communication.

------------------------
https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-...urants-2023-12

An overwhelming 86% of Gen Zers have struggled with "menu anxiety" when ordering at a restaurant.

This is according to a new survey by Prezzo Italian Restaurant which polled 2,000 people in the UK.

The younger generation said they wouldn't go to a restaurant if they hadn't looked at a menu beforehand.

Gen Z's struggles with anxiety are affecting their dining habits with most admitting to dealing with "menu anxiety" in restaurants, a new survey finds.

British restaurant chain Prezzo, which serves Italian cuisine, surveyed over 2,000 people in the UK about how at ease they felt when they ate out and it found that 86% of Gen Z had been impacted by "menu anxiety" when dining in restaurants compared to 67% of all respondents.

Menu anxiety was largely trigged by the cost of the meal, not being able to find something they like on the menu, and regretting what they ordered. Over a third of millennials said having too many options on a menu was also a trigger.

38% of Gen Z and millennials said they wouldn't go to a restaurant if they hadn't looked at the menu beforehand. A third of Gen Zers also said they ask other people to order at restaurants because of this anxiety.

Another source of anxiety for almost half of 25 to 34 year olds is not being able to pronounce the options on the menu when ordering.

Young people are also largely influenced by their social media use. A third of 25 to 34 year-olds would choose items on a menu that would look best on social media.

The younger generation tend to have more hang ups about how they appear in public, and a recent Gallup poll even found that they're more likely to report experiencing negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, and loneliness.

NYU business professor Jonathon Haidt told the Wall Street Journal that a "performative" social media culture is partly to blame for the high rates of anxiety and depression amongst Gen Z.

"We have a whole generation that's doing terribly," he said. "You're not creative, you're not future-thinking, you're focused on threats in the present."

Social media is also playing a major role in Gen Z's dining options. Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer searching for things on Instagram and TikTok rather than Google or Google Maps, internal Google data found in July.

Executives at fast food chains in the US previously told Business Insider that Gen Z tend to order a lot of takeaway, and when they do eat out, it's with a big group. They're also very likely to dine at restaurants that influencers have promoted on social media and want their food to look "Instagrammable."

[mtpockets]

Menu Anxiety

Howdy Dusty, I hope all is going well and Merry Xmas





Menu Anxiety?

How fuking weak can a person get FFS...

[7Seconds]

Clickbait for millennials and gen-xers who forgot these articles were being written about them years ago. This is not only not a new thing, this has been a documented thing for decades. It's called by a number of names, but basically, someone is given a lot of options and is afraid to pick one in case they regret it or being afraid of accidentally picking something incorrectly. The actual decision is small and has almost no consequences.

It has affected all generations in all kinds of situations.

[steffo99]

Pathetic younglings! My sharp gen-x eyes quickly find the delicious spicy meat options and with the steadfastness of a world conquering warlord, I quickly and firmly demand what I truly deserve!

[mtpockets]

I look for a Clubhouse and Fries...

If they don't have that, Fried Chicken Baby....

The only anxiety I have is not getting every morsel

[Karl_Hungus]

Clickbait for millennials and gen-xers who forgot these articles were being written about them years ago. This is not only not a new thing, this has been a documented thing for decades. It's called by a number of names, but basically, someone is given a lot of options and is afraid to pick one in case they regret it or being afraid of accidentally picking something incorrectly. The actual decision is small and has almost no consequences.

It has affected all generations in all kinds of situations.

Yes and no. Human psychology is basically the same across all generations so at a basic level we are all going to be affected in qualitatively similar ways, but that doesn't mean our reactions to those situations are going to be the same. There may be more to it than the standard cut and paste "grumpy old people complaining about the young 'uns". A salient and real difference between the generations is that zoomers have grown up on screens. They have never known a life without social media and online convenience. It is hard to build up any kind of psychological resilience when you are given the tools to avoid even mildly uncomfortable situations. I think that is where the difference lies. What might cause minor anxiety/annoyance in the older generations causes outright paralysis for many in the younger generations.

[DustinTheHuss]

^^^ They have grown up on screens.

It's sad they are closing American Girl stores. Some of my fondest memories are playing with my daughter and the dolls. Same with board games. Do families even play board games these days?

I guess I should be glad we missed the "putting kids on iPad" era.

I remember getting terrible anxiety when I first had to make phone calls in an office. My voice quivered. I'm sure that's how they feeling talking to a real person.

[LWW]

Nice avi Dusty!

We went to a small restaurant, more like a bar grill thing.

They didn’t and wouldn’t give us a menu, you HAD to use your phone and scan thier menu.

We walked right the fuk out.

WTF is wrong with people these days, if you don’t have your phone you can’t do chit, pretty fuking scary that a business that wants to get customers can’t keep a handful of menus on hand or even write on a chalk board.

My phone wasn’t updated enough to scan, and mama wants to hold the menu, not look at the phone. We both hate our phones.

We would have eaten thier if someone could at least described the menu, but they didn’t even do that = garbage establishment.

[7Seconds]

Nice avi Dusty!

We went to a small restaurant, more like a bar grill thing.

They didn’t and wouldn’t give us a menu, you HAD to use your phone and scan thier menu.

We walked right the fuk out.

WTF is wrong with people these days, if you don’t have your phone you can’t do chit, pretty fuking scary that a business that wants to get customers can’t keep a handful of menus on hand or even write on a chalk board.

My phone wasn’t updated enough to scan, and mama wants to hold the menu, not look at the phone. We both hate our phones.

We would have eaten thier if someone could at least described the menu, but they didn’t even do that = garbage establishment.

Most restaurants here went the way of the QR code for COVID reasons and didn't turn back. Although I’ve never heard of someone not getting a paper menu or a tablet to use if asked for.

I get it, restaurants are a penny business. The margins are pretty low. If you can save .01 by switching straws, you do it.

Now you don't need to print menus, replace old menus, clean menus...

But 99% of the time if you ask for a paper/physical menu, I bet you will get one.

[Mark1T]

Talk about anxiety. This causes anxiety for anyone.

Ghost Kitchens, especially during Covid became a brief thing and the concept sounded good from an investment perspective and several major fast-food chains were on board with hundreds of millions ready to invest, such as Wendy's. But, post-Covid, people want to eat out and be served and Wendy's backed out, among others. Ghost Kitchens may survive, but not nearly on the level it was hoped to.

I am not a customer of any Ghost Kitchen because you have a person you never see, cooking and packaging for 10 to 20 different restaurant brands and you have to wonder about quality and food safety. Nope.

A Ghost Kitchen franchising is big and often misrepresented as to the success and growth projections. Nope again.

Bonus: I know of a group that just plunked down $10 Million cash (loan from a major bank) for the rights to sell Ghost Kitchen franchises. Fools.

[LWW]

Most restaurants here went the way of the QR code for COVID reasons and didn't turn back. Although I’ve never heard of someone not getting a paper menu or a tablet to use if asked for.

I get it, restaurants are a penny business. The margins are pretty low. If you can save .01 by switching straws, you do it.

Now you don't need to print menus, replace old menus, clean menus...

But 99% of the time if you ask for a paper/physical menu, I bet you will get one.

Or just have a staff member tell us items, should be pretty simple.

[7Seconds]

Or just have a staff member tell us items, should be pretty simple.

Don’t know the level of establishment you were at but I think you might be overestimating the amount of extra effort your general restaurant employee is willing to put forth. Generally speaking they put up with a lot of sh*t on an average day and complaining about a lack of a physical menu doesn’t exactly put out “big tipper” vibes.

[LWW]

Don’t know the level of establishment you were at but I think you might be overestimating the amount of extra effort your general restaurant employee is willing to put forth. Generally speaking they put up with a lot of sh*t on an average day and complaining about a lack of a physical menu doesn’t exactly put out “big tipper” vibes.

I can really really see now why you and me would never get along or agree or whatever. I can also really really see now why you are so so anti-Trump more so than the other lying politicians.

The thing is we are big tippers compared to the general population even with not so good service we will go 20 percent or higher but we tip extra based on good service. Im also a big eater, hence bigger bill, bigger tip.

I guess you missed earlier where I said “my phone isn’t able to scan”, we told them that, still oh can’t help you, well fuk you then (to them).

[7Seconds]

I can really really see now why you and me would never get along or agree or whatever. I can also really really see now why you are so so anti-Trump more so than the other lying politicians.

What insight have you gained from this thread about my beliefs on President Trump?

The thing is we are big tippers compared to the general population even with not so good service we will go 20 percent or higher but we tip extra based on good service. Im also a big eater, hence bigger bill, bigger tip.

I wasn’t commenting on how you tip but how this situation might present to average waitstaff.

I guess you missed earlier where I said “my phone isn’t able to scan”, we told them that, still oh can’t help you, well fuk you then (to them).

I was simply pointing out that expectation of service depends greatly on price point. If you were at a high dollar restaurant where waitstaff have a career in hospitality and are often salaried then you should expect this level of detail. But it’s probably not going to happen at the local Applebees with some college kid trying to manage 8 other tables looking for their tea refills.

[mtpockets]

Nice avi Dusty!

We went to a small restaurant, more like a bar grill thing.

They didn’t and wouldn’t give us a menu, you HAD to use your phone and scan thier menu.

We walked right the fuk out.

WTF is wrong with people these days, if you don’t have your phone you can’t do chit, pretty fuking scary that a business that wants to get customers can’t keep a handful of menus on hand or even write on a chalk board.

My phone wasn’t updated enough to scan, and mama wants to hold the menu, not look at the phone. We both hate our phones.

We would have eaten thier if someone could at least described the menu, but they didn’t even do that = garbage establishment.

But 99% of the time if you ask for a paper/physical menu, I bet you will get one.

Yep

Or just have a staff member tell us items, should be pretty simple.

Did you ask?

I am sure that they have protocol to serve blind customers.

Sometimes it's all about first impressions and how you greet people. A smile can go a long ways.

Being a grumpy person can get you no service or a loogie in your clam chowder..

Never piss off your cook or your barber, both can ruin your day.

Don’t know the level of establishment you were at but I think you might be overestimating the amount of extra effort your general restaurant employee is willing to put forth. Generally speaking they put up with a lot of sh*t on an average day and complaining about a lack of a physical menu doesn’t exactly put out “big tipper” vibes.

LMAO

I can really really see now why you and me would never get along or agree or whatever. I can also really really see now why you are so so anti-Trump more so than the other lying politicians.

I thought this thread was about restaurants.

The thing is we are big tippers compared to the general population even with not so good service we will go 20 percent or higher but we tip extra based on good service. Im also a big eater, hence bigger bill, bigger tip.

Perhaps the Server was thinking like i am right now. Why would a big tipper have an antiquated phone.

Maybe the server thought, let that fukker with the Nokia walk,





Probably a cheap Bass Turd, no tip there, keep the table for someone else.

I guess you missed earlier where I said “my phone isn’t able to scan”, we told them that, still oh can’t help you, well fuk you then (to them).

I must have missed that as well, I don't recall you posting it

still oh can’t help you

Mainly because you did not post that from what I can see. Maybe I missed it again or you used invisible in, you little trickster.

Quote it up for me.

Talk about anxiety. This causes anxiety for anyone.

Ghost Kitchens, especially during Covid became a brief thing and the concept sounded good from an investment perspective and several major fast-food chains were on board with hundreds of millions ready to invest, such as Wendy's. But, post-Covid, people want to eat out and be served and Wendy's backed out, among others. Ghost Kitchens may survive, but not nearly on the level it was hoped to.

I am not a customer of any Ghost Kitchen because you have a person you never see, cooking and packaging for 10 to 20 different restaurant brands and you have to wonder about quality and food safety. Nope.

A Ghost Kitchen franchising is big and often misrepresented as to the success and growth projections. Nope again.

Bonus: I know of a group that just plunked down $10 Million cash (loan from a major bank) for the rights to sell Ghost Kitchen franchises. Fools.

Marks Posts are so enlightening, I was today's years old when I heard of "Ghost Kitchens"

[LWW]

I brought up Trump cause he would fire that person and rightfully so.

No one was grumpy until the server wouldnt tell us what was on the menu.

We don’t get tea refills, more like more wine, do you know how much a glass of wine is, that’s an easy 50 bucks on our bill and house wine at that.

Zen Master Pockets, here’s some education, the best tippers are the ones who don’t spend on other nonsense like fancy cars and phones. You ever heard of the people with fancy cars who don’t tip to save every penny vs the guy with the beat up pick up who tips 100percent.

Also when I go out I don’t get burgers, I get the lobster or something that’s most expensive, when I go out I prefer to get stuff that I’m not gonna cook myself. Usually the most expensive items on the menu. And if they have raw oysters, forget about it, that’s an easy 50 added to the bill. I can’t eat just 12 of those.

[mtpockets]

i brought up trump cause he would fire that person and rightfully so.

No one was grumpy until the server wouldnt tell us what was on the menu.

We don’t get tea refills, more like more wine, do you know how much a glass of wine is, that’s an easy 50 bucks on our bill and house wine at that.

Zen master pockets, here’s some education, the best tippers are the ones who don’t spend on other nonsense like fancy cars and phones. You ever heard of the people with fancy cars who don’t tip to save every penny vs the guy with the beat up pick up who tips 100percent.

Also when i go out i don’t get burgers, i get the lobster or something that’s most expensive, when i go out i prefer to get stuff that i’m not gonna cook myself. Usually the most expensive items on the menu. And if they have raw oysters, forget about it, that’s an easy 50 added to the bill. I can’t eat just 12 of those.

lmao

[7Seconds]

I brought up Trump cause he would fire that person and rightfully so.

So how does this reflect on my opinions of Trump.

No one was grumpy until the server wouldnt tell us what was on the menu.

So when you explained that your phone was not able to scan a QR code, they made absolutely no effort to accommodate you and simply told you tough luck, no food for you?

We don’t get tea refills, more like more wine, do you know how much a glass of wine is, that’s an easy 50 bucks on our bill and house wine at that.

Mark up for a glass of wine at a restaurant is usually the wholesale cost of the bottle, so you are talking about a $150 bottle of wine at the restaurant. You received this type of service at a restaurant with that kind of wine selection?

[DustinTheHuss]

Nice avi Dusty!

We went to a small restaurant, more like a bar grill thing.

They didn’t and wouldn’t give us a menu, you HAD to use your phone and scan thier menu.

We walked right the fuk out.

WTF is wrong with people these days, if you don’t have your phone you can’t do chit, pretty fuking scary that a business that wants to get customers can’t keep a handful of menus on hand or even write on a chalk board.

My phone wasn’t updated enough to scan, and mama wants to hold the menu, not look at the phone. We both hate our phones.

We would have eaten thier if someone could at least described the menu, but they didn’t even do that = garbage establishment.

Those are really annoying and then I think of people like my elders who wouldn't know how to scan the QR code?

What's even more annoying is those of us who are starting to lose our vision (ugh) and the menu on the phone is so hard to read! Then you are supposed to tip the server, enter in your credit card while people are talking at your table, and check out that way.

My friend said he walked out of the restaurant like you because he said why should he be expected to leave a tip when he is doing all of the work?

[usersignup2]

The quote from NYU business professor Jonathon Haidt is interesting, as NYU is widely regarded as the best in the country for their Marketing Dept.

Zoomers also prefer to order via Door Dash and Uber Eats so that they don't have to leave their rooms, so I could see why they feel anxiety, especially when the server asks for their order. They aren't comfortable with interpersonal communication.

------------------------
https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-...urants-2023-12

An overwhelming 86% of Gen Zers have struggled with "menu anxiety" when ordering at a restaurant.

This is according to a new survey by Prezzo Italian Restaurant which polled 2,000 people in the UK.

The younger generation said they wouldn't go to a restaurant if they hadn't looked at a menu beforehand.

Gen Z's struggles with anxiety are affecting their dining habits with most admitting to dealing with "menu anxiety" in restaurants, a new survey finds.

British restaurant chain Prezzo, which serves Italian cuisine, surveyed over 2,000 people in the UK about how at ease they felt when they ate out and it found that 86% of Gen Z had been impacted by "menu anxiety" when dining in restaurants compared to 67% of all respondents.

Menu anxiety was largely trigged by the cost of the meal, not being able to find something they like on the menu, and regretting what they ordered. Over a third of millennials said having too many options on a menu was also a trigger.

38% of Gen Z and millennials said they wouldn't go to a restaurant if they hadn't looked at the menu beforehand. A third of Gen Zers also said they ask other people to order at restaurants because of this anxiety.

Another source of anxiety for almost half of 25 to 34 year olds is not being able to pronounce the options on the menu when ordering.

Young people are also largely influenced by their social media use. A third of 25 to 34 year-olds would choose items on a menu that would look best on social media.

The younger generation tend to have more hang ups about how they appear in public, and a recent Gallup poll even found that they're more likely to report experiencing negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, and loneliness.

NYU business professor Jonathon Haidt told the Wall Street Journal that a "performative" social media culture is partly to blame for the high rates of anxiety and depression amongst Gen Z.

"We have a whole generation that's doing terribly," he said. "You're not creative, you're not future-thinking, you're focused on threats in the present."

Social media is also playing a major role in Gen Z's dining options. Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer searching for things on Instagram and TikTok rather than Google or Google Maps, internal Google data found in July.

Executives at fast food chains in the US previously told Business Insider that Gen Z tend to order a lot of takeaway, and when they do eat out, it's with a big group. They're also very likely to dine at restaurants that influencers have promoted on social media and want their food to look "Instagrammable."

this is proof that Autism is environmental

[LWW]

Those are really annoying and then I think of people like my elders who wouldn't know how to scan the QR code?

What's even more annoying is those of us who are starting to lose our vision (ugh) and the menu on the phone is so hard to read! Then you are supposed to tip the server, enter in your credit card while people are talking at your table, and check out that way.

My friend said he walked out of the restaurant like you because he said why should he be expected to leave a tip when he is doing all of the work?

Yup!

When it’s going out time, some of us don’t want the annoyance of messing with our friking phones. We need a break from that BS device when we are trying to enjoy a dinner in a restaurant.

[LWW]

So how does this reflect on my opinions of Trump.



So when you explained that your phone was not able to scan a QR code, they made absolutely no effort to accommodate you and simply told you tough luck, no food for you?



Mark up for a glass of wine at a restaurant is usually the wholesale cost of the bottle, so you are talking about a $150 bottle of wine at the restaurant. You received this type of service at a restaurant with that kind of wine selection?

Because your siding with the establishment over the customer. Trump is all about customer service.

Yes. I’m guessing you had to place the damn order from the phone.

Well, we never got a chance to see what wine they had.
A glass of house wine these days is like 10-12bucks, we usually try something a step up from the house. It’s less expensive to buy a bottle but we like to try several types via glass.

[DustinTheHuss]

I don't know how this became a thread about Trump lol, but thanks to Biden you can't go to restaurants because the prices are insane these days.

[DirtyD79]

Yup!

When it’s going out time, some of us don’t want the annoyance of messing with our friking phones. We need a break from that BS device when we are trying to enjoy a dinner in a restaurant.

Agreed. Call me a boomer but when I'm out somewhere like a concert, a ballgame, or in this case going to an actual restaurant that isn't fast food I'm there to do that, not putz around on the phone.

[DustinTheHuss]

I'm going out for lunch with a friend so we'll see if I have menu anxiety

Agreed. Call me a boomer but when I'm out somewhere like a concert, a ballgame, or in this case going to an actual restaurant that isn't fast food I'm there to do that, not putz around on the phone.

I think a lot of it is awkwardness. I feel especially when I'm 1:1 with someone that it's rude to be on your phone, unless it's a spouse or child.

Now when I've felt awkward is I have a friend who always invites me to concerts and parties and sometimes since I don't know the people well and I'm shy I'll bring out my phone so I'm not sitting there awkwardly. I really shouldn't do that and should just force myself to talk to these other people. When I do I always feel better after the fact, but I dread going to these events because they are out of my comfort zone.