The flip side of less dining out is more eating alone. The share of U.S. adults having dinner or drinks with friends on any given night has declined by more than 30 percent in the past 20 years. “There’s an isolationist dynamic that’s taking place in the restaurant business,” the Washington, D.C., restaurateur Steve Salis told me. “I think people feel uncomfortable in the world today. They’ve decided that their home is their sanctuary. It’s not easy to get them to leave.” Even when Americans eat at restaurants, they are much more likely to do so by themselves. According to data gathered by the online reservations platform OpenTable, solo dining has increased by 29 percent in just the past two years. The No. 1 reason is the need for more “me time.”
That is a LOT more alone time. I can verify that more of my students report that they don’t have many, or any, guests. They also report they aren’t going out, and some no longer are taking vacations, going to movies or the theater, shopping malls, public concerts and mass gatherings, or going to see friends or family.
That puts a bigger burden on the home dog. That dog needs to be better behaved and adapted to this kind of homebody lifestyle. I also do all I can to encourage people to get their dogs out of the home. All that isolation isn’t good for most dogs.
Plan accordingly.
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