The National Restaurant Association expects 18% of US restaurant customers to order their meals online in 2008, as cited in a January Seattle Times article.
That figure has been steadily growing. In 2005, 11% of restaurant customers placed an order online, and in 2006 13% ordered their meal online.
According to the article, ordering online is becoming increasingly popular for ordering lunch at work, where orders can be large and complicated.
Ordering online is often marketed as a quick and easy way to order meals without having to wait in line. Yet consumers are finding that they can take all the time they like when they place an order on the Internet, and the research suggests that they are savoring the benefit.
