CHICAGO, March 24, 2026 - Anyone waiting for a mention of Taco Bell or Starbucks might have been surprised by what the teenagers participating in an onstage focus group at COEX revealed as their top dining preferences.
The seven students from an Atlanta-area high school exhibited a sophistication in their restaurant choices that seemed to startle the adult foodservice professionals who made up the audience. Instead of brand buzz or familiarity, the youngsters cited such complex factors as ambience, authenticity, a differentiated experience, and the ease of getting there.
“We don’t like going to a place that feels like another restaurant,” commented one of the youngsters.
Another participant stressed the need for “the feng shui being where it needs to be.”
Most cited independent restaurants or small local chains as their favorite places to dine. Indeed, the only chains mentioned at all during the 35-minute presentation were Flower Child, Chili’s, and Chipotle.
Nor were there mentions of items that few in the audience would likely have disputed as being in vogue, such as boba tea, bowls, stretchable mozzarella sticks, or anything with hot honey. Few specific menu items were mentioned at all, with the students indicating they choose a setting first, then scour the menu for something that appeals to them. The examples they cited included steak and oysters.
The Gen Zers/Gen Alphas were nearly unanimous in recounting how they whittle down their restaurant choices. One after another attested that they rely either largely on word-of-mouth from their friends and cohort, or what they see being touted on TikTok or Instagram.
Influencers were discounted as a factor by several of the participants. “Influencers can over-hype places, for sure,” noted an 11th-grader in the group.
Plus, “influencers aren’t going to know you as well as your friends do,” so a recommendation from the latter is a more solid bet, said another teen.
The group repeatedly emphasized the importance of a restaurant being “genuine,” not a contrived fake, if it hopes to get their business.
“You can always tell when a business is trying too hard to appeal to a younger audience,” said one of the young women. “I would much rather they have their own kind of vibe rather than try to appease my generation.”
“When restaurants try to copy one another, it makes everything feel the same,” added another. “As young people, we like different experiences, different atmospheres. We like walking into places that don’t feel like other restaurants.”
Asked specifically about how price figures into their restaurant preferences, several of the youngsters said the overall experience, not the caliber of the food or drinks, is the key determinant of whether a visit was worth the expense.
One participant asserted that price is his gauge of convenience. The lower the price, the less time a visit is likely to take, he contended.
The focus group was moderated by Alyssia Wright, executive director of school nutrition for Fulton County Schools and the winner of the 2022 Silver Plate in the Elementary and Secondary Schools category. The students she questioned were from Riverwood High School, one of the schools in her district.
All of the participating students are part of Riverwood’s hospitality curriculum. COEX attendees speculated afterward that the youngsters’ interest in a restaurant career may have explained the sophistication they exhibited in airing their dining preferences.
Yet the participating youngsters cautioned the audience not to assume they’re looking for a fast-food experience just because of their age.
“Adults assume that we can’t eat at a nice restaurant,” said the 11th grader. “We can dress up and be civilized at a restaurant. We can do that.”
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.