Consumers increasingly tap water to save money on restaurant bill

Observation:  Over the past few years, more folks have been ordering water instead of their favorite soft drink when dining out of home, according to this story from today’s Marketing Daily.

Implications:   A good share of this decline probably has to do with the consumer’s desire to save money, but that’s not the only issue here.  Because the decline was underway prior to the recession, there are other issues contributing to the drop.  Does your favorite restaurant offer healthful alternatives to soda that are sugar- or caffeine-free? 

If you’re a restaurant owner or marketer, are their ways you can help refreshments find their way back on to the diner’s tab?  Have you asked them—conducting some simple research—to find out what they’d like to sip along with their entrée order, or what price they think would be reasonable?

Mike Anderson, for the Elm Street Economics consumer trends blog. A service of The Center for Sales Strategy, Inc.