Desserts and Final Dishes at Restaurants: Top Priority for 30s is 'Taste', for 40s is 'Price'. About 77% Appreciate 'Efforts to Enjoy Until the End'

■ Is there a difference in awareness of desserts and 'final dishes' between people in their 30s and 40s?

Whether to order a dessert or a 'final dish' at the end of a meal.

Some people think 'the course isn't complete without dessert', while others finish their meal after the main course.

So, is there a difference in the frequency of ordering or what they expect from restaurants between those in their 30s and 40s?

Even for the same 'final dish', the points of focus might differ by generation.

Therefore, this time, in collaboration with 'Micreed', an online shop for commercial frozen foods, ingredients, and beverages, we conducted a survey on 'Awareness of Desserts and Final Dishes at Restaurants' targeting 100 men and women in their 30s and 40s nationwide.

*When citing the content of this press release, please comply with the following:

- State that the source is 'a survey by NEXER Inc. and Micreed'
- Place a link to Micreed (https://www.micreed.co.jp/shop/)

Survey Overview: 'Awareness of Desserts and Final Dishes at Restaurants'

Survey method: Internet questionnaire

Survey period: May 22, 2026 - May 27, 2026

Survey subjects: Men and women in their 30s and 40s nationwide

Valid responses: 100 samples (50 each for 30s and 40s)

Question items:

Q1: When dining out, do you ever order a dessert or a 'final dish' (e.g., final ramen, dessert, sweet)?

Q2: How often do you order a dessert or final dish? Please choose the closest option.

Q3: What impression do you have of restaurants with a wide selection of desserts or 'final dishes'? (Multiple choice)

Q4: Please tell us about any memorable restaurant menus or types of desserts/final dishes you would be happy to see.

Q5: What do you prioritize when ordering a dessert or 'final dish'? (Multiple choice)

Q6: Please tell us your top priority and the reason for it.

*Percentages are rounded to the second decimal place, so totals may not equal 100%.

■ 'Have ordered': 36.0% for 30s, 26.0% for 40s

First, we asked respondents in their 30s and 40s separately whether they ever order a dessert or 'final dish' when dining out.

Among those in their 30s, 'Never order' was the most common at 46.0%, followed by 'Sometimes order' at 30.0%. 'Rarely order' was 18.0%, and 'Often order' was 6.0%.

Combining 'Often order' and 'Sometimes order' gives 36.0%, meaning more than 1 in 3 people in their 30s have ordered a dessert or final dish.

Among those in their 40s, 'Never order' was the majority at 54.0%.

This was followed by 'Rarely order' at 20.0%, 'Sometimes order' at 18.0%, and 'Often order' at 8.0%.

Combining 'Often order' and 'Sometimes order' gives 26.0%.

Comparing the two age groups, the percentage who answered 'Have ordered' was 36.0% for the 30s and 26.0% for the 40s, with the 30s being 10.0 percentage points higher.

Conversely, 'Never order' was higher among the 40s at 54.0%, compared to 46.0% for the 30s.

There appears to be a difference by generation in whether they order a dessert or final dish after a meal.

■ 'Order almost every time': 16.7% for 30s, 30.8% for 40s

Next, we asked those who answered 'Have ordered' how frequently they order.

Among those in their 30s, 'Order about once every two times' was the most common at 33.3%, followed by 'Order about once every three to four times' at 27.8%. 'Only on special occasions (anniversaries, business dinners, etc.)' was 22.2%, and 'Order almost every time' was 16.7%.

Among those in their 40s, 'Order about once every three to four times' was the most common at 38.5%.

This was followed by 'Order about once every two times' and 'Order almost every time', both at 30.8%.

On the other hand, 'Only on special occasions' was 0%.

Notably, the percentage for 'Order almost every time' was 16.7% for the 30s compared to 30.8% for the 40s, nearly double.

While the overall proportion of people in their 40s who order desserts or final dishes is lower, those who do order tend to do so almost every time they dine out. In contrast, 22.2% of those in their 30s order 'only on special occasions', suggesting they tailor their ordering to the situation.

■ 77.8% of 30s, 76.9% of 40s feel 'Efforts are made to ensure enjoyment until the end of the meal'

We then asked those who 'have ordered' what impression they have of restaurants with a rich selection of desserts or 'final dishes'.

First, the results for the 30s.

For the 30s, 'Efforts are made to ensure enjoyment until the end of the meal' was the most common at 77.8%, followed by 'They have a spirit of service, and overall satisfaction with the restaurant seems high' at 38.9%, and 'I would want to visit again/repeat' at 33.3%.

'I feel it's a specialized restaurant with a strong focus' was 22.2%, and 'I would want to introduce it on SNS or with photos' was 5.6%.

Next, the results for the 40s are as follows.

For the 40s, 'Efforts are made to ensure enjoyment until the end of the meal' was also the most common at 76.9%.

This was followed by 'They have a spirit of service, and overall satisfaction with the restaurant seems high' at 46.2%, and 'I would want to visit again/repeat' at 30.8%.

'I feel it's a specialized restaurant with a strong focus' was 15.4%, and 'I would want to introduce it on SNS or with photos' was 7.7%.

Approximately 77% of both age groups answered 'Efforts are made to ensure enjoyment until the end of the meal', indicating a common impression across generations.

Furthermore, the response 'They have a spirit of service, and overall satisfaction with the restaurant seems high' was higher among the 40s at 46.2%, 7.3 percentage points higher than the 30s. This suggests that people in their 40s tend to associate the richness of desserts and final dishes with overall restaurant satisfaction and hospitality.

■ Memorable menus range from 'elaborate parfaits' to 'ice cream tempura'

We also asked about memorable menus or types of desserts/final dishes they would be happy to see. Here are some responses.

Please tell us about any memorable restaurant menus or types of desserts/final dishes you would be happy to see.

- Large serving of a final dessert. (Male, 30s)
- Desserts using seasonal fruits. (Female, 30s)
- I'd be happy if the parfait was elaborate. (Female, 30s)
- A parfait I can decorate myself. (Female, 40s)
- Ice cream tempura. (Female, 40s)
- I'd be happy if there was a small bowl of Soki soba for a final dish. (Female, 40s)