See How Much Americans Are Spending on Takeout Amid the Pandemic

With many people spending more time at home and restaurants remaining closed in some places, Americans have been ordering more takeout amid the pandemic. But some states have been getting more delivery than others — and shelling out more cash to satisfy their food cravings.

To find out which states have been getting the most takeout during the pandemic, restaurant equipment sales platform Bid-On-Equipment analyzed Google search volume for “takeout,” “takeout near me” and related terms in every state across the country from March through July. They also surveyed 2,000 Americans about their takeout habits over that time frame. See how Americans across the U.S. are spending their money these days.

The Northeast Is Ordering the Most Takeout

Among the top 10 states ordering the most takeout, six are in the Northeast: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Delaware, the Bid-On-Equipment study found.

The other states rounding out the top 10 were Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington.

Rhode Island Tops the List of States Ordering Takeout

Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but it apparently has the biggest appetite for takeout food. The Ocean State had the most searches for “takeout” and related terms per 100,000 searches of all the states.

Southern States Have Ordered the Least Takeout

Mississippi is the state with the least searches for takeout. Other Southern states in the bottom 10 include Arkansas (No. 43), Alabama (No. 46.) and Louisiana (No. 47).

Most Americans Have Increased Their Spending on Takeout

Since the pandemic began, 65% of Americans said they’ve been ordering more takeout. And they’ve been ordering out an average of 2.4 times a week.

Find Out: 30 Ways Shopping Will Never Be the Same After the Coronavirus

The Average American Has Spent $67 a Week on Takeout

Millennials’ average weekly spend on takeout is $70 — slightly higher than the overall average.

Most Americans Tip 15% on Takeout

Unsure how much to tip for takeout? Most Americans — 28% — said they tip 15%. The next-most-common response was 10% (25% of respondents) followed by 20% (24% of respondents). Fifteen percent of Americans are stingy tippers, tipping just 5%, and 8% are generous, tipping 25% or more.

Gen X and Baby Boomers Are the Most Generous Tippers

The Bid-On-Equipment survey found that among the generations, Gen X and Baby Boomers are the most generous tippers, tipping 15% on average.

Alcohol-To-Go Sales Have Been Booming

Some restaurants began selling alcohol-to-go amid the pandemic, and many Americans seem to have embraced this new offering. One-third of respondents said they have ordered alcohol-to-go, and 57% said they hope restaurants continue to offer this takeout option post-pandemic. This could be a profitable move for restaurants, as 32% of respondents said they would pay more for the convenience of alcohol-to-go orders.

Americans Want To Support Local Restaurants

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they have been ordering more from local restaurants than large chains. They have also been supporting local restaurants in other ways including tipping more (47% of respondents said they have done this), posting positive online reviews (26%), donating (23%), placing larger orders (22%), promoting their favorite restaurants on social media (20%), buying or wearing restaurant merchandise (15%), and buying gift cards (13%).

Nearly Half of Americans Don't Feel Safe Dining Inside

Takeout will likely remain popular for the next few months, as 43% of Americans said they do not feel comfortable dining inside, and only 1 in 3 of those surveyed said they had dined inside since restaurants reopened.

Millennials Are Most Likely To Partake In Indoor Dining

Millennials are the most likely generation to have dined inside (40%) followed by Gen X (34%). Only 27% of boomers have dined inside, according to the survey.

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About the Author

Gabrielle Olya

Gabrielle joined GOBankingRates in 2017 and brings with her a decade of experience in the journalism industry. Before joining the team, she was a staff writer-reporter for People Magazine and People.com. Her work has also appeared on E! Online, Us Weekly, Patch, Sweety High and Discover Los Angeles, and she has been featured on “Good Morning America” as a celebrity news expert. 

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