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Gen Z and millennials are moving dinner earlier.
Hear your grandma out: A 5pm dinner time isn’t just for nursing homes anymore.
Many Gen Z and millennials are inching their regular dining times forward, arguing the early bird gets the worm—or in this case, a table at a trendy restaurant with not-yet-exhausted servers, a fully stocked kitchen, and none of the noise or chaos of peak dinner rush. “It’s basically the restaurant equivalent of flying business class instead of economy,” remarks Food & Wine Editor Khushbu Shah.
In a time when landing a Saturday dinner reservation at a popular eatery can feel much like sitting in the Ticketmaster queue with thousands ahead of you, it’s no wonder patrons are changing course. OpenTable tells RM that 53% of Gen Z and 51% of millennials in the U.S. now prefer an earlier seat, with 5pm dining up 11% from January to August 2025.
That said, 6pm still reigns as the most popular dining time in Raleigh, adds OpenTable—as well as in metros like Charlotte, Atlanta, NYC, Chicago, Nashville and New Orleans—with 2025 showing an 8% rise over 2024. Even in NYC, the city that never sleeps, 5pm reservations were up 20%.
So what’s driving the shift away from ~la dolce vita~ Euro-style rezzies toward senior citizen happy hours? Much of it is credited to younger gens’ obsession with health and wellness routines—NTM their strong preference for being home in bed. Why stay out late (and throw off your circadian rhythm) if you’ve got an early grind in the morning?
Post-pandemic work culture plays a part too—WFHers can head out the second they slam their laptops—no commute required. And as with many current trends, finances factor in—earlier reservations often overlap with happy hour, making the outing more affordable.
For Raleigh diners, the shift offers a practical perk: flexibility. Earlier meals out can mean easier access to in-demand restaurants, a calmer dining room and a meal that still leaves room for an early night (home by 9 and feeling fine?)—or a second stop elsewhere.
“I’m always, always going to opt for an early dinner,“ one local tells RM. “I’m going to be a grump if I eat any later than 6pm—but there are plenty of bonuses: not fighting the cool kids for a table, having time to get through a whole movie afterward and getting in bed by 10pm.“
Despite ample advocates for earlier dinners (and earlier bedtimes), local hospitality sources still maintain that a 7pm reservation is the hot commodity in Downtown Raleigh—and diners are going as far as to pick a completely new date for their meal because 7:15 or 7:30 doesn’t cut it for them.
Other Raleighites have noticed many restaurants—especially ones outside of DTR—have emptied out almost entirely by 8pm, particularly on weeknights. If the early-bird trend continues, “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” might start sounding less like a joke—and more like a strategy.
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