Inside the Latest Restaurant Trends Report
Toast (NYSE: TOST), the all-in-one digital platform built for restaurants, has released a fresh look at what lunch really costs across the U.S. The analysis draws on aggregated transactions from restaurants that run on Toast—about 120,000 locations nationwide—offering a grounded view of what people are buying, how much they’re paying, and how those habits are shifting.
Lunch Prices, Plain and Simple
What the Average Customer Paid in Q2 2024
By the second quarter of 2024, lunch at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) cost noticeably more than a year earlier. Average ticket prices landed at $11.26 for sandwiches and wraps, $12.98 for bowls, $11.45 for burgers, and $10.74 for burritos. Across categories, that works out to a year-over-year increase of roughly 4.6%. For operators, those changes shape menu strategy and margins. For guests, they set expectations before they even step up to the counter.
What People Are Ordering—And Where
Sandwiches and wraps led in most states, but regional favorites still stood out. Tacos took the top slot in California and Texas. Bowls were the go-to in Hawaii. Salads found their moment in Utah. These patterns aren’t just trivia; they can guide menu mix and limited-time offers by market.
How Dining Habits Are Shifting
Breakfast Is Gaining Ground
Quick-service spending is drifting earlier in the day. The report points to a shift toward breakfast and away from dinner and late-night visits. It’s a quiet but meaningful change—one that nudges operators to rethink hours, staffing, and which items deserve prime placement on digital menus.
Pay and Tips: A Quick Snapshot
On wages, the report notes that in California the median hourly pay for quick-service cashiers was $16.98. Tipping softened a bit: average tips came in at 19.3% at full-service restaurants and 15.9% at quick-service. Small movements here can ripple through staffing models, training, and service styles—from counter flow to table touchpoints.
Prices on the Menu: What Moved
Which Items Cost More (and Less)
Toast looked across 13 common food types to understand price behavior over the past year. Burgers, bowls, and noodles/ramen sat at the higher end of the price range, while tacos and fries remained more budget-friendly. The sharpest increases showed up in tacos, sandwiches and wraps, burgers, and bowls—each up about 4–6% year over year. It’s not one item; it’s a pattern.
What’s Selling—and What’s Slowing
Price isn’t the only story. Hot dog sales dipped 9%, even as bowls and chicken tenders edged up by about 1%. Small gains and losses like these help operators see what resonates and what’s becoming a harder sell.
How the Report Was Built
The findings come from a broad analysis of transactions at quick-service locations on the Toast platform, covering April 2023 through June 2024. That window is long enough to see seasonal bumps and longer arcs in pricing and demand, without losing sight of the on-the-ground reality of a single order and a single receipt.
About Toast
Toast (NYSE: TOST) is a cloud-based platform made for restaurants, combining point of sale, payments, operations, and digital tools in one system. The aim is straightforward: help teams run service, track sales and labor, and meet guests where they are—online, in-app, or at the counter—as the industry continues to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this report focus on?
It examines U.S. dining and pricing trends using aggregated transactions from restaurants on the Toast platform, with a spotlight on quick-service lunch items, regional favorites, tipping, and wages.
How much did lunch prices rise in Q2 2024?
Across categories, prices were up by about 4.6% year over year. Averages included $11.26 for sandwiches and wraps, $12.98 for bowls, $11.45 for burgers, and $10.74 for burritos.
Which menu items stood out by region?
Sandwiches and wraps led in most states. Tacos took first place in California and Texas, bowls topped the list in Hawaii, and salads gained traction in Utah.
What did the report say about wages and tips?
For June 2024 in California, the median hourly wage for quick-service cashiers was $16.98. Average tips were 19.3% at full-service restaurants and 15.9% at quick-service, reflecting a slight dip.
How were the insights generated?
Toast analyzed transactions from quick-service establishments on its platform between April 2023 and June 2024 to track pricing, sales shifts, and consumer behavior over time.
