Detroit dines later than most cities
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Earlier dinner reservations are trending, but many Detroit diners still prefer to eat after 8pm.
The big picture: Detroit's on par with the national share of reservations made in the 5 o'clock hour, but we're making more dinner plans for 8 o'clock and later, Resy data shared with Axios shows.
- Nationally, dinner times have shifted earlier since the pre-pandemic years.
By the numbers: More than 17% of Detroit Resy reservations were made between 8-10pm in 2024.
- The national figure in that time slot is less than 14%.
Zoom out: Detroit is among a handful of big cities with more than 5% of reservations made in the 9 o'clock hour.
- Others include Miami (9.9%), Atlanta (5.2%) and Pittsburgh (5.5%).
- On the other end, few diners in Denver (1.6%) and Nashville (1.8%) plan to eat past 9.
What they're saying: Eating earlier in the day supports your body's natural clock — boosting metabolism and improving sleep, experts say.
- If you have a later dinner, but eat the same amount, "that by itself leads to an increase in cravings, changes in appetite hormones and fewer calories burnt across the waking hours," Frank Scheer, Harvard Medical School professor and Medical Chronobiology Program director, tells Axios.
Eating earlier can also lead to earlier bedtimes — which unlock even more health benefits.
- Even during simulated night shifts, eating during the day could benefit heart health, per a new study co-authored by Scheer.
- Studies show sleep loss slows your reaction time — even if you think you're OK.
- And research suggests that the cognitive and motor impairments from lack of sleep can be similar to — or even worse than — being drunk.
The intrigue: Sleep-deprived people "lose the ability to judge how well they're doing," Karin Johnson, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology at UMass Chan School of Medicine-Baystate, told Axios.
💭 Joe's thought bubble: I'm a night owl, but I recently ate around 5pm at a popular restaurant to avoid the crowds and I loved it. The whole evening felt more relaxing.