Consumers are shifting from expensive restaurant meals to home hosting, squeezing dining chains and lifting grocery and home goods. Apple stands to gain as home entertainment demand rises.
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Food away from home has climbed 32% since 2021, outpacing the 27% rise in groceries, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That gap is reshaping how people socialize. Instead of dropping $80 on dinner and drinks, more consumers are hosting friends at home. The shift from public third places – coffee shops, bars, restaurants – to private homes carries real implications for several sectors.
Take Emily O'Brien, a 26-year-old in Philadelphia. She attends a monthly book club that rotates among friends' apartments. “Do I really want to end up paying 80 bucks for a dinner and drinks with friends? Or I could just stay in and then not spend that,” she told Business Insider. O'Brien estimates she spends $50 to $75 when it's her turn to host, covering brunch items from Trader Joe's and a coffee bar. That is less than a single night out for one person, and the food stretches across multiple guests.
In Los Angeles, Ariel and Cyrus Kashfian host a weekly Shabbat dinner with an open invitation. Cyrus said going out can feel monotonous and less personal. “You get more bang for your buck having people over at your house,” Ariel said. She made a pot roast and sides for a murder mystery night; leftovers stretched the value. In San Francisco, Kristin Greene runs a monthly craft club from her dining room, serving homemade soup. “I finally was sick of us talking about hosting craft club and just decided to go for it,” she said.
The pattern is not limited to coastal metros. Andrea Bryson in Chicago hosts soup swaps, art parties, and game nights in her larger apartment. Food away from home in Chicago has risen 40% since June 2019, the BLS data show.
Restaurant chains face headwinds. Traffic at casual-dining and fast-casual spots could soften as budget-conscious consumers choose home gatherings over $80 dinners. Grocery retailers benefit: more home cooking means higher basket sizes. Home goods stores also gain as hosts invest in cookware, serving dishes, and decor. The trend lifts companies tied to at-home entertainment and cooking technology.
Apple fits that narrative. Consumers hosting at home are more likely to buy iPads for recipe browsing, Apple TV units for movie nights, and HomePods for background music. Services like Apple Music and Apple TV+ see increased usage during group gatherings. The company's ecosystem of devices and services is well positioned to capture spending that might otherwise go to restaurant tabs. Apple's installed base of over 2 billion active devices gives it a natural advantage as the home becomes the new social hub.
The shift is not just about cost. Greene, who also participates in a virtual meditation group and a needlepoint Discord, said digital third places can work too. “You can have really rich connections where you are helping each other, answering questions, cheering each other on,” she said. But for many, the home offers a deeper connection than a crowded bar.
Ariel Kashfian summed up the calculus. “Money and value are not also the same. You're getting a lot more for your dollar when you're hosting people, and doing an activity that's interesting and fun.” For investors, that equation is worth watching as consumer spending patterns continue to evolve.
For more on consumer spending trends, see our stock market analysis. Apple's profile is available here.
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