According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Washington), as household size grows from one to four, more is spent on food outside the home. However, the expenditure per person decreases. That is, a one-person household spent $1,434 in 2003 on food-away-from-home; a house of four spent $3,204--only $801 per person. As Boomers age, empty their nests and create smaller households, their individual foodservice spending thus would likely rise.
Indeed, the NPD Group (Port Washington, N.Y.) report “Profile of American Baby Boomers: Health, Diet and Consumption Behaviors and Attitudes” notes that before having children, Baby Boomers were the most frequent users of restaurants. Restaurant usage declined with the advent of children, but older Boomers now are returning.