Spectrum News: Americans spend more at restaurants than on groceries
UC economist says prices, end of pandemic contribute to shifts in spending
Americans spent more money at restaurants than at grocery stores in 2022, which partially can be attributed to rising food prices, a University of Cincinnati economist told Spectrum News.
Erwin Erhardt
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spent 20% more at restaurants than on groceries last year. With grocery prices up 8% compared to a year ago, some people have decided to spend less on groceries and opt for the convenience of take out or deliveries.
“It is a surprise in a way given the cost of food, but a trip to the grocery store has honestly gotten very expensive,” said Erwin Erhardt, PhD, an associate professor-educator of economics at UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
Beyond the economics, Erhardt said, people wanting to socialize more following the COVID-19 pandemic also plays a role in the increased spending at restaurants.
“People are reconnecting, getting back out in some cases with people they haven’t seen in three years and I think once you break through and start doing that again you start enjoy going out again and I think that’s what’s going on,” he said.
Featured image at top: People eat together at a restaurant. Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Mini-brain reveals how concussions trigger neurodegenerative cascades
April 21, 2026
Medical XPress highlights biomedical engineering research at the University of Cincinnati that used a mini-brain model to study the cascade of neurodegenerative effects caused by blunt-force trauma associated with concussions.
Center for Business Analytics renamed the Center for Business Analytics and AI
April 21, 2026
The Center for Business Analytics, housed within the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, has been renamed the Center for Business Analytics and AI.
Labor groups worry about the lack of guardrails for AI in employment
April 20, 2026
Anne Lofaso, a professor in the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law at the University of Cincinnati, speaks with Bloomberg Law about federal oversight over the use of AI in the workforce.