New Survey Reveals Late Night Munching Trends

The end of Daylight Savings Time means an extra hour of sleep...or does it? Denny's, America's late night icon, announced the results of its nationwide survey of late-night diners that revealed America's nocturnal appetites. Whether respondents craved eggs and hamburgers or crab legs and cheese curds, regardless if they are young or old, male or female, a night owl or an early bird, they expect the same variety of food and quality of service as their daytime counterparts.

A Few Quick Facts

• Over 80% of the respondents dine out between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on a weekly or monthly basis.

• The majority of respondents (58%) prefer to satisfy their hunger in a sit-down restaurant over a fast-food drive thru.

• Savory food items declared victory over sweet dishes, with 67% of respondents choosing sandwiches and dinner entrees, while 6% choose desserts.

We Know What We Like

For classic late-night eaters, tastes do not stray far from traditional meals. Most wanted standard American fare: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken strips and fries. Although this works most of the time, 70% of respondents did admit to less-conventional cravings such as fried tofu, turkey burgers, Thai duck, chocolate scones and even goat's milk.

The Changing Face of Late Night

While once the domain of college students and young night-club goers, late night restaurants now accommodate a wide-variety of consumers. Nearly half of the respondents (47%) were over fifty years old and only 30% were completing a night of merry-making. 'Our survey revealed that eating after 10:00 p.m. has become more commonplace as America becomes a 24-hour society. Many 'third-shifters' and those that are out late want real meals and do not want to settle for fast food snacks,' said Peter Gibbons, Vice President of Product Development, Denny's.

Conducted in August of 2006, Denny's Late Night Dining survey is based on 400 Internet interviews among national late-night eaters. The margin of error was ±4.9% at the 95% confidence level and higher for subgroups.

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