There are now more adults taking GLP-1 medication in the UK than the combined number of people who are either vegetarian or vegan. Let that sink in.
Data published in Lumina Intelligence’s new GLP-1 Out of Home Navigator found that over 6% of UK adults are currently taking GLP-1s as a way of losing weight, compared with a combined 5.7% of UK adults that are currently following either a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Moreover, a further 15.1% of adults are considering using such medication and a further 5.7% say they have used it in the past, Lumina reports.
The new findings highlight the scale of the challenge facing restaurant operators as they try to respond to a changing landscape of smaller appetites and less frequent dining occasions as a result of people being on the medication. What may have been considered a minor problem by many in the industry a few years back is turning into a juggernaut of an issue. Is the sector ready for what’s coming down the road?
Quality and functional options
Menu development over the past year across the sector would suggest that the foundations are being laid. A number of QSR and casual dining operators have already launched GLP-1-focused propositions, although not as overtly as their US counterparts, and many more look likely to follow suit.
Moreover, the rise in the uptake of drugs that can aid weight loss, such Mounjaro, Ozempic, and Wegovy which mimic hormones in the body to help regulate blood sugar levels and also suppress a person’s appetite, might not all be doom and gloom for the restaurant sector. While GLP-1 consumers eat out less often and eat less when they do, data from Lumina also points to them trading up for more premium options.
When asked how their overall spending on food and drink had changed since the starting GLP-1 treatment, 39.6% said it had actually risen while 31.1% said it had fallen. Quality was found to be the driver, with 52% saying they have increased their spend on premium, higher-quality food.
As a result, Lumina’s report says that the industry must pivot to retain spend by innovating with ‘quality and functional benefit-led options’, and this is already apparent across parts of the casual dining and QSR sectors.
Pret a Manger, for example, earlier this year launched a selection of half-sized baguettes, flatbreads and sandwiches, before updating it in September with the introduction of a £4.99 ‘Pick Your Pair’ lunch deal that allows customers to choose between selected half baguettes, half flatbreads, side salads, side soups and protein pots. While the small sandwich and baguette formats have enabled Pret to compete better with the likes of supermarket meal deals and gives a lower entry price for its customers (half baguettes start at £1.99) their additional benefit is that they have greater appeal among GLP-1 users looking for a lighter lunch.
Burger King’s Burger Buddies range, while also not overtly targeting GLP-1 users, also uses the smaller format to make its products more appealing to them. Its range of miniature versions of its Whopper, Big King, and BBQ Steakhouse burgers available in mix-and-match three-piece and nine-piece boxes launched in May and have obvious appeal among customers looking to reduce their portion sizes while still being able to indulge, as well as people looking for greater variety from a burger meal.
Casual dining chains are also starting to shout more about the nutritional benefits of their dishes and highlighting the role they can play in people’s diets. Vietnamese restaurant Pho has made ‘protein packed bundles’ available to order via Deliveroo, with dish combos that are specifically flagged as being high in protein but also with fewer than 500 calories - ‘Protein is Life’ and ‘Bulking Szn’ are two options - as well as high in fibre (Fibremaxxing).
Indeed, many casual dining chains are already well placed to cater for GLP-1 users. Research conducted last year by Oxford Online Pharmacy of the best places for customers on weight loss medication to eat out ranked Zizzi at the top, with the Italian chain having 133 menu options suitable for dieters, including grilled meats, roasted vegetables, salads, and small-plate starters like burrata and garlic pork meatballs. Brands including Nando’s, Comptoir Libanais, and Wahaca also made the top five.
“GLP-1 medications don’t mean dining out is off the table – it just means the table might look a little different,” it says. “Choosing restaurants that cater to smaller portions and whole-food options can make meals out feel indulgent without overindulgence.”
The increased narrative around weight-loss drug users and dining out has even led to some chains referring to the term ‘GLP’ on menus, although this trend is yet to cross The Pond. In the US, Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar has trademarked its ‘GLP-Wonderful’ menu that was created under the guidance of obesity expert Dr. Charlie Seltzer. The menu comprises smaller portioned dishes with a higher fibre and protein content, with the quantities of fat, fibre, carbohydrates and protein as well as the calorie count for each dish listed below it.
Fine dining not immune
While casual dining and QSR remain the sectors under the most threat from rising GLP-1 usage, the fine dining sector has shown it is by no means immune to the challenges. Indeed, arguably UK’s most famous fine dining establishments, Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin-starred flagship The Fat Duck in Bray, was among the first to acknowledge the need to cater for customers using the medication.
The fine dining restaurant launched a scaled-down version of its tasting menu called the Mindful Experience with portion sizes reduced by 20% to 50% compared to its signature Journey tasting menu. “People are eating less and the quantities of food will put them off,” Blumenthal told Restaurant before the launch. “I want to do something about that.”
Blumenthal, who himself has been a user of GLP-1 drug Mounjaro, later said of the decision: “I’m eating in a more mindful, focused manner. Mindful eating can of course be applied to any experience – even an airline meal or a store-bought sandwich on your lunch break – but this new version of The Fat Duck menu is carefully tailored to a growing demand for a different restaurant experience.
“People used to joke that the portions on a tasting menu were so small that you had to grab a burger on the way home. But now, as our needs and expectations and appetites change, maybe this carefully structured menu is the perfect answer to what many people are looking for.”
Where Heston goes, others follow, and the case of GLP-1 usage seems no exception. Rising costs and dwindling discretionary income has led to consumers cutting back in the sector over the past few years: now all parts of the industry must face up to a new form of belt tightening.
This analysis was drawn from insights featured in Lumina Intelligence’s new GLP-1 Out of Home Navigator. For more information and to purchase the full report, please click here.