Three-quarters of parents want to go out for dinner without their children

Adults-only holidays are on the rise, and pets are joining in

The hospitality industry has been familiar with ‘adults-only’ as an accommodation concept for years. New research by the till and payment platform Lightspeed, conducted amongst 1,000 restaurant-goers in the Netherlands, shows that there is also demand for this at the dining table. Two-thirds are in favour of child-free dining. The strongest support comes from a group you might not immediately expect: parents.

Three in four parents (72%) are in favour of adults-only dining, slightly more so than non-parents (64%). Among all respondents, two-thirds (67%) are in favour of the idea that full-service restaurants should offer dining experiences exclusively for adults. Just over a quarter (27%) are unreservedly in favour of this, regardless of the time of day or the concept.

A regular guest is the biggest supporter

The frequency of visits also matters. Among guests who eat out at least once a week, 77% are in favour and almost half (49%) are unreservedly in favour. Among those who eat out at most a few times a year, support drops to around half. Regular diners are therefore asking for it themselves.

That same group also points to the hotel. Of all those in favour, 11% explicitly mention the hotel restaurant as a suitable venue; amongst those who dine out weekly, the figure is 23%, whilst amongst 25- to 34-year-olds it is just over one in five (21%). The rooftop lounge also scores twice as high as average among that young group (18%).

The guest’s conditions

The support is not unconditional. Four in ten guests attach conditions to it, and those conditions immediately provide you with the building blocks for your offering. The time of day is the top priority: nearly a third (32%) consider an ‘adults-only’ policy appropriate after a certain time, for example 8.00 pm or 9.00 pm. This is followed by a romantic atmosphere (30%) and a chic or luxurious ambience (29%).

In practical terms: breakfast and early evening meals remain open to everyone, whilst the late-night session is for adults only. A quarter of respondents would like such a policy to be clearly communicated in advance, from the booking confirmation to the website. A further 24% favour a separate adults-only section. For hotels with multiple restaurants, this offers a workable compromise: the brasserie for families, and the signature restaurant or bar for adults.

The dog is allowed to come along

Whilst the high chair is a matter of debate, dogs are actually being given a place. Half of those surveyed believe that restaurants should allow pets; assistance dogs are already permitted. Three in ten (31%) are happy for them to stay outside, whilst one in five also agree to them being inside. Just over four in ten (43%) are against the idea. This means there are more supporters of pets in restaurants than there are unconditional supporters of child-free dining.

For hotels, this has a direct impact on existing policies. Pet-friendly rooms are on the rise, but the restaurant often remains a grey area. A clear distinction between the terrace, bar and restaurant prevents any inconvenience for guests and staff.

Choosing on the spot

Emine Youssef, Regional Senior Director for Western Europe at Lightspeed, sees this primarily as an invitation to make a choice: “Adults-only dining is often dismissed as a niche market, but the figures tell a different story. What’s striking is that parents, in particular, are positive about it, whilst at the same time the door is being opened to pets. Guests are thinking more and more carefully about what a night out should mean to them, and their expectations regarding atmosphere, company and surroundings are more varied than ever. For hoteliers and restaurateurs, this presents an opportunity to tailor their offerings more precisely to different target groups and occasions.”

Anyone who makes conscious choices on a restaurant-by-restaurant and moment-by-moment basis, and communicates those choices clearly, will not disappoint anyone. Families know where to go in the morning and where they can dine undisturbed in the evening. The trick, therefore, lies not in excluding people, but in striking the right balance.