Columbus embracing weekend lunches

Restaurant spending in Columbus is shifting slightly from weekday lunch hours to the weekends, per new Square data.

Why it matters: It's a reflection of pandemic behavior changes — and an important insight for restaurants as they adapt to survive and thrive.

By the numbers: Weekday lunch's share of overall restaurant transactions fell locally from 23% in 2019 to 17% last year, based on data from establishments using Square.

• By contrast, the weekend's share grew from 31% to 37% in that time frame.
• The same trend is playing out nationwide, but the shift in Columbus is a bit more pronounced.

🍻 Fun fact: Happy hour is safe for now, with spending trends staying essentially flat over the past five years.

What they're saying: "There's a perception that consumers are cutting back at restaurants, when in fact total spending has increased. The bigger change is in consumer behavior," Square research lead Ara Kharazian said in the company's new report.

• "Before COVID, consumers were going out more during the week to eat lunch by their office and grab drinks after work. Now with remote work, restaurant spending has shifted to the weekend, and we now see that weekend traffic is at its peak."

The bottom line: See you at brunch.