WSU study: Most people reluctant to dine out, travel even when restrictions are lifted

A new study out of Washington State University found that even when dine-in service returns to restaurants, a majority of people will likely be reluctant to take advantage.

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Of the 785 Americans from across the country WSU professors surveyed in early May, almost 66% said they would not be willing to dine in at a restaurant right away. Nearly half (47.8%) said they would wait between 1 and 3 months “or longer” to dine in with a friend.

The survey also asked customers about the kind of restaurant they’d like to return to first. Almost 50% answered with “casual dining” options like TGI Friday, Applebee’s, or The Cheesecake Factory. Another 35.9% said they’d prioritize “family style.” Nightclubs were lowest on the list at 0.64%.

In terms of the safety precautions respondents prioritized the most, social distancing and “visible sanitizing efforts” like cleaning table and chairs in front of customers topped the list.

Restaurants weren’t the only focus of WSU’s study, with researchers also looking to gather opinions on people’s willingness to stay in hotels.

Over 56% of respondents said they’d be unwilling to travel to a destination and stay at a hotel in mid-June or July, even if stay-at-home restrictions were lifted by June 1. Just over 26% said they were “likely” or “very likely” to stay at a hotel in that time frame.

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When asked how long they would likely wait to travel and stay in a hotel once stay-at-home orders are lifted, over 27% said they would wait over six months. Another 32.4% said they would wait between 3 and 6 months, while just 7.5% said they would do so immediately.

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