As takeout takes over, restaurants rethink the traditional dine-in model

Dinner used to mean a table, menus, and a server asking, “Still working on those?”

Now it’s more likely a phone in one hand, car keys in the other, and a notification that says, “Your order is ready.”

Across Daniel Island and across the country, takeout isn’t just an option anymore. It’s the plan. According to the National Restaurant Association’s Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 2025 report, takeout, delivery, and drive-thru now account for 75% of all restaurant traffic. Speed, value, and convenience have become the cornerstones of how people eat, driven by packed schedules, more dual-income households, and younger generations who expect food to fit seamlessly into their lives.

“Since opening on Daniel Island a year ago, we’ve seen strong demand for both, but takeout has played a bigger role here than we initially expected,” said Brenda Haire, co-owner of Heavy’s Barburger on Island Park Drive. “We see that many guests are grabbing food on the way home, between work, or before heading to events such as the summer concert series.”

Nationally, nearly 95% of consumers say fast service is critical, with 90% naming it their top priority when ordering off-premise.

For Gen Z and millennials, takeout isn’t just convenient; it’s essential. The report found 67% of Gen Z adults consider takeout essential to their lifestyle, while 60% of Gen Z and millennials say they’re ordering it more often than they did a year ago.

Rather than replacing dine-in, many restaurants are expanding to meet customers where they already are. At Heavy’s, that meant thinking beyond the dining room.

“One of our biggest adaptations has been launching the HeyRide Catering rig,” Haire said, adding their catering element allows them to serve "at neighborhood events, private gatherings, and local organizations without relying on a traditional dining room.”

At Indigo Reef Brewing off Clements Ferry Road, owner Christopher Ranere says the brewery still thrives on in-person dining, but habits are evolving.

“We have seen an uptick in customers grabbing some food to go for the rest of their family for dinners,” he said. The business is now exploring third-party delivery options to expand access while keeping dine-in central. “While the core focus will remain dine-in, we are trying to increase options.”

Technology has also been playing a role in restaurant fast-food marketing, as websites and apps have allowed customers more efficiency in placing and picking up their food orders without having to slow down to stare at a menu at the front of a line.

“Approximately 90% of all orders are placed online, which shows that customers value convenience and minimal interaction,” said Kevin Kerchenko, owner of the Domino’s Pizza in Point Hope.

Kerchenko said the pizza chain's online model demonstrates that customers want the convenience of meals "delivered or picked up as quickly as possible.”

For local families, the appeal is simple.

“Between dance, baseball, and homework, we’d never eat before 9 p.m. without takeout,” Point Hope mom Hope Bakerman said. And as island resident Caroline Reid joked, “I love a nice dinner out, but sometimes I just want good food in sweatpants.”

Dine-in isn’t disappearing; it’s just sharing the table. And these days, that table might be anywhere but the restaurant itself.