New Research Shows Consumer Demand for Customizable Portions in Restaurants

Released this month, a new analysis from ReFED and Datassential shows that restaurant owners and operators who offer customizable portions can gain a competitive advantage by catering to what Americans want, including emerging market segments such as Gen-Z and GLP-1 users. With 70% of restaurant and foodservice food waste coming from plate waste, offering customizable portions like half-sized entrées is also a way to cut down on food waste and save money.

In today’s foodservice landscape, portion customization shapes how consumers perceive value, satisfaction, health, and waste. The study examines the evolving role of portion customization in restaurant experiences and expectations. It explores topics like how well restaurant portions align with diners' actual wants in a single sitting, potential interest in flexible and customizable options, and the complex relationship between portions and perceived value.

Key findings include:

• Dining out is an integral, yet seldom perfect, experience for Americans, especially in the context of portion sizes. Nearly half of consumers surveyed were surprised by how large a restaurant meal was, a third ate past the point of fullness to avoid waste, and 30% wished a restaurant meal they purchased had been smaller.

• Portion sizes are driving plate waste, which makes up 70% of restaurant and foodservice food waste. 25% of consumers say they leave food behind always or most of the time, while 4 in 10 choose not to take home leftovers. 61% of consumers—and 75% of GLP-1 users—feel guilty about leaving food uneaten.

• Restaurants may be losing sales opportunities because of their portion options. Over 30% of consumers are choosing to share meals or skip ordering items to avoid too much food—this number increases to 50-60% for GLP-1 users and 45-47% for Gen Z. Overall, 60% of Americans say they’re more likely to visit restaurants offering flexible, customizable, or innovative portion size options, and that number jumps to 75% for GLP-1 users.

• Gen-Z, a segment with growing influence on the future of dining, stands out among all generations as the most portion-conscious, consistently showing greater concern about receiving too much food when dining out. This generation shows stronger alignment with the idea of paying a little more for right-sized portions, valuing control and personalization over quantity. Gen Z consumers were 10-14 percentage points higher in their likelihood to share entrées, skip ordering sides or desserts, or request items be left off their meals to better match their appetites.