There’s No ‘Average’ U.S. Diner Anymore

Guest behavior, shaped by city economics, culture, and expectations around time, value, and service, is diverging in ways that can directly impact profitability, according to new data from sunday.

“There’s no longer a single ‘U.S. diner,’ " Christine de Wendel, Co-Founder and US CEO of sunday, explained. “Inflation has affected cities differently, but we’re also seeing a shift toward ‘fewer, better’ dining occasions in higher-cost markets. We expected differences, but the gap in spend, dwell time, and tip behavior was larger than anticipated. It reinforces that operators need hyper-local insight, not national averages.”

The key findings from 1,500 restaurants using sunday’s payment platform include:

• The spend gap between cities nearly doubled this year: San Francisco diners spent $151.04 per order on average, nearly double the average in Philadelphia ($78.44).

• Americans do tip: Philadelphia tops all major U.S. cities with a 23.34 percent average tip rate, followed closely by Nashville and Atlanta. Meanwhile, Miami and Nashville boast the highest frequency of tipping: over 98 percent of all checks.

• Where diners stay the longest: Denver guests clocked the longest table time at 70.57 minutes, compared to an average of just 55 minutes in Las Vegas. Americans rush out the door in comparison to Europeans. Belgium diners led with an average of 91.59 minutes compared to a U.S. average of 61.76 minutes.

• Who leaves the most Google reviews: San Francisco diners are the most vocal, leaving reviews after 10 percent of visits, more than double the frequency in Denver (4.68 percent).

These regional differences are increasingly important for operators planning staffing, service models, and table management, de Wendel pointed out. 

The restaurants that win will be the ones using data to make smarter operational decisions while keeping the guest experience front and center.

“Inflation has affected cities differently, but we’re also seeing a shift toward ‘fewer, better’ dining occasions in higher-cost markets. In cities like San Francisco, guests are dining out less often but spending more when they do. In other markets, value and speed are driving behavior, which keeps average checks lower. Menu pricing, local wage structures, and guest expectations all play a role, and those variables are diverging more than they were even a few years ago.”

Despite ongoing conversations about tip fatigue, the data shows tipping remains deeply ingrained in U.S. dining culture, what’s evolving is how guests think about tipping.

“It’s increasingly tied to experience and ease,” de Wendel said. “When checkout is smooth and guests feel in control, generosity tends to follow.”

Operators should look closely at their own data–how long guests stay, when they choose to pay, how they tip–and adjust service models accordingly, she suggested. 

“Guest behavior is becoming more intentional and more localized. Even small improvements in checkout speed or guest engagement can unlock meaningful gains in throughput, tips, and reviews. Flexibility will be critical in 2026. Guests will expect faster, more flexible experiences, but still value human service. The restaurants that win will be the ones using data to make smarter operational decisions while keeping the guest experience front and center."