Diners switch from wine bottles to glasses, entrees to appetizers

Restaurant and bar patrons cheaped out last year, swapping expensive bottles of wine for more affordable single glasses, ditching entrees for appetizers and sides and even passing on dessert.

Though consumer spending is ticking up, the unstable economy and high food prices have kept diners wary of hefty checks. Hence the 2.8% boom in appetizer and side orders last year, compared to a 1.5% slide in demand for entrees, according to GuestMetrics, which tracks hospitality industry data.

The average starter dish – oysters, chicken wings and empanadas are increasingly popular – costs $5.57. An entrée runs $11.56, according to GuestMetric’s database of 250 million full-service restaurant checks.

The collection represents $8 billion in transactions.

Dessert is also getting the shaft, with orders slumping 2.3% amid declining demand for brownies and cakes. Dessert represents 6% of all food items sold while entrees account for 52%.

Sales at table service restaurants and bars weakened as 2012 progressed, steadily slimming from a 2.7% growth in the first quarter to a 0.5% drop by the fourth.

The money-saving trend is also evident in beverages. Instead of ordering wine bottles – an activity that shrank 13% last year – restaurant and bar patrons ordered 4% more glasses.

A single goblet cost $9.60 on average in 2012, up 3% from the year before. But the cost of a full bottle soared 9% to $43. Nearly nine in ten wine orders were for a glass of wine over a bottle.

Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Grigio all lost market share among patrons, though they’re still the most popular options. But varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Malbec are gaining fast, according to GuestMetrics.

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