Europe’s foodservice market may appear stable on the surface, but changing consumer behaviour across generations is reshaping where, when and how people eat out, according to new research from Circana.

Speaking at the European Foodservice Summit in Madrid, Edurne Uranga, VP Foodservice Europe at Circana, said the headline figures concealed a significant shift in the consumers driving the market.

Across Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, foodservice spending increased by 1.4% in the year ending June 2026, while visits fell by 0.7%. Average spend per eater rose 2.1%, taking annual foodservice expenditure across the five markets to €361.2bn.

Uranga said: “At first sight, European foodservice looks remarkably steady. Spend continues to grow, visits have moved marginally and consumers are still eating out. However, that apparent stability is deceptive as behaviours across generations evolve.”

Circana’s analysis suggests population size alone is a poor indicator of foodservice opportunity.

Generation Z accounts for 16% of the population across Europe’s five largest foodservice markets but makes 39% more foodservice visits than would be expected from its population share. Millennials and Generation X also over-index, while Baby Boomers record a foodservice participation index of just 60 despite representing 29% of the population.

The generational divide is even apparent among branded restaurants.

Branded concepts account for 29% of commercial restaurant spend overall, rising to 40% among Generation Alpha, 35% among Gen Z and 35% among millennials. The figure falls to 24% for Gen X and 16% for Baby Boomers.

Circana said younger, digitally native consumers are more accustomed to discovering, ordering and engaging with food through digital and delivery channels, helping recognisable branded concepts appeal to those consumers.

Generation Alpha is already acting as a gateway into foodservice, although its spending is weighted towards retail-based immediate-consumption channels rather than traditional foodservice. Its delivery share is currently 1.3 times the population average and seven times that of Baby Boomers.

Gen Z is also displaying distinct attitudes towards health and consumption.

Circana found that 12% of Gen Z consumers practise intermittent fasting compared with 7% of the overall population. Almost a quarter focus on high-protein consumption, while 20% prioritise organic or natural products. Some 13% report avoiding coffee.

The findings suggest that health-conscious behaviour is influencing not only what younger consumers eat, but also their meal routines and consumption occasions.

Smaller party sizes are another significant change in foodservice occasions. Almost 60% of foodservice occasions now involve one or two people, with solo dining accounting for around a third of all main meal visits.

Circana found that Millennials are driving the solo dining occasion, challenging the assumption that eating alone is primarily associated with older consumers.

More significantly for operators, Millennials spend around 70% more per visit when dining alone than they do when dining as part of a group. However, the research suggests menus have yet to fully adapt to the occasion. Solo diners are considerably less likely to order categories including fish, seafood, pasta and noodles than the same consumers when dining in groups.

This could point to an opportunity to rethink portion sizes menu architectures and dishes designed for one person.

The research also challenges assumptions about how cost-conscious consumers make restaurant decisions.

While 69% of Gen X consumers identify the cost of living as a concern, price is not their leading consideration when choosing a restaurant. Product offering ranks first, cited by 35%, followed by convenience and price.

Urgana said: “Consumers can be financially cautious while continuing to prioritise experiences that they feel are worth paying for because they make their lives easier.”

The findings suggest that operators seeking to demonstrate value may need to focus on the overall proposition rather than relying solely on discounts or lower prices.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Baby Boomers represent a sizable but comparatively underdeveloped foodservice opportunity.

Their lower participation is linked less to how frequently they eat out than to when they do so. Evening occasions are notably under-indexed, with tiredness contributing to a preference for returning home earlier.

When Baby Boomers do eat out, however, they tend to favour longer occasions. They disproportionately choose lunches lasting more than two hours, contrasting with the wider market’s shift towards shorter visits.

Branded restaurants also have significant headroom among the generation. Branded concepts account for just 16% of Baby Boomer spend, compared with 29% across the market as a whole.

Circana said the findings demonstrate the limitations of treating age as a straightforward predictor of foodservice behaviour.

“Age is no longer a straightforward guide to behaviour,” said Uranga. “Our data shows a much more complex picture, with technology, health, economic pressures, changing lifestyles and life stage all reshaping consumer choices.”

He continued: “It’s evident that the future foodservice consumer will not simply behave like a younger version of today’s older consumer.”

The company argues that operators should distinguish between behaviours that are genuinely linked to a particular generation and those that may become more widespread as consumers age.

“Digitalisation, wellbeing and personalisation may be more pronounced among some generations today, but many of these behaviours will become more widespread over time,” Uranga concluded.