Waiting for a restaurant table tops the list of the most annoying wait times according to new research from OpenTable.
Almost a third of Australians (30 percent) say they find waiting to be seated as a walk-in diner most irritating, more so than waiting for public transport (23 percent), in the queue to board a flight (17 percent), or for online shopping to be delivered (11 percent).
The average time diners are willing to wait for a table at an unbookable restaurant is 18 minutes, with one in 10 unwilling to wait at all.
“When it comes to dining out, Aussies know what they like – and that applies to the whole dining experience, not only to the meal itself. As lifestyles become busier, diners don’t have valuable time to wait for a restaurant table. By booking ahead, they eliminate the unknown element of the wait, using their time instead to enjoy the important things – great food, great atmosphere and great company,” said Lisa Hasen, vice president, APAC, for OpenTable.
The research also revealed the dining habits of Australians are changing, with half of those surveyed (49 percent) saying they dine out more now than they did five years ago.
For those hitting the restaurant scene more often, the increased variety of dining locations is the main driver (50 percent), followed by the range of cuisines (46 percent ) and variety of different price points (40 percent).
With dining developments like The Streets of Barangaroo and Harold Park Tramsheds recently opening in Sydney, over half (52 percent) of Sydneysiders say they dine out more now than compared to five years ago.
Top findings from the 2016 OpenTable booking behaviours study:
- When it comes to the six types of wait times Aussies find most annoying:
- A table at an unbookable restaurant (30 percent)
- Public transport (23 percent)
- Boarding a flight (17 percent)
- Online shopping to be delivered (11 percent)
- Movie to start at the cinema (10 percent)
- Car to be serviced at the mechanics (10 percent )
- The average amount of time Aussies are willing to wait for a restaurant table is 18 minutes
- 10 percent of Aussies say they are unwilling to wait for a restaurant table at all
- Half of Australians (49 percent) say they are dining out more now than they did five years ago.
- Most people say the increased variety of restaurant locations (50 percent) is the main reason they’re dining out more often than they did five years ago
- Diners living in NSW (52 percent) and Vic./Tas. (51 percent) are more likely than those in Qld. (46 percent), WA (43 percent) and SA (38 percent) to say they dine out more now than they did five years ago