Toast Data: How Reservation and Full-Service Restaurant Dining Trends Shifted In the Last Year

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11/18/2025 - 08:00 AM

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Toast (NYSE: TOST), the all-in-one digital platform built for restaurants, released its latest Restaurant Trends Report, providing insight into the state of the U.S. restaurant industry through an analysis of aggregated data from selected cohorts of restaurants and in select U.S. states on the Toast platform, which serves approximately 156,000 restaurant locations as of Sept. 30, 2025. Read the full Q3 2025 Restaurant Trends Report on Data by Toast.

The Q3 numbers are in, and diners at Toast restaurants are keeping things interesting. In-person hospitality is still king, but the "rules" of dining out are clearly shifting. Solo dining is soaring, and Tuesday is the new hot night for a dinner reservation. As restaurants navigate complexities, here's a snapshot of how diner behavior is evolving.

Key takeaways for Q3 2025 Full-service restaurants:

Reservations for one spiked 22% in Q3 2025 compared to Q3 2024.
Tuesday reservation bookings jumped 15% year-over-year, the largest increase of any day.
The 9 a.m. breakfast slot saw the biggest year-over-year jump in reservations, up 19%.
The 4 p.m. "early bird" slot tied for the second-largest increase in reservations, up 15%, along with 10 a.m.
Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI, topped the list, with full-service restaurant transactions growing 3% year-over-year.
The average FSR tip was 19.2% in Q3 2025, a slight increase from the seven-year low of 19.1% in Q2 2025.
Quick-service restaurant (QSR) tips remained flat at 15.8% in Q3 2025.

Table for one? Single diner reservations grew 22%

Reservations for a single diner spiked 22% in Q3 2025 compared to Q3 2024.
Diners are booking (and bailing) more. Seated reservations increased 8% year-over-year, but cancellations also rose 7%.
No-show reservations decreased by 1%, suggesting that more guests are honoring their bookings or canceling in advance.

Ditch the group text---solo dining at Toast Restaurants is having a moment with reservations for one on Toast Tables spiking 22% in Q3 2025 compared to the same time last year. More people are treating themselves to a meal out, no plus-one required. Still, single diners accounted for less than 1% of the total booked reservations.

But it’s not just solo diners that are planning ahead. Overall, seated Toast Tables reservations increased 8% year-over-year on a same-store basis. But an increase in reservations also comes together with an increase in cancellations, which were up 7% compared to last year.

Approximately 2% of booked reservations were no-shows.

For more insights into reservations, full-service restaurants, and tipping trends, read the full Q3 2025 Restaurant Trends Report on Data by Toast.

About the Restaurant Trends Report:

The Restaurant Trends Report, powered by Toast, uncovers key trends across the restaurant industry through aggregated sales data from a selection of cohorts of restaurants on the Toast platform, which has approximately 156,000 locations as of Sept. 30, 2025. This information is provided for general informational purposes only, and publication does not constitute an endorsement. Toast does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information, text, graphics, links, or other items contained within this content. Individual results may vary. Toast does not guarantee you will achieve any specific results if you follow any advice herein. It may be advisable for you to consult with a professional such as a lawyer, accountant, or business advisor for advice specific to your situation. The Restaurant Trends Report is not indicative of the operational performance of Toast or its reported financial metrics.

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