What time are you sitting down for dinner these days? Thursday, restaurateur Danny Meyer, the brains behind Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, which operates a bunch of restaurants in New York City, tweeted an observation. He said: “When did a six o’clock dinner reservation become the new eight?“

Yes, New York City has always been a late-night scene. But it turns out people are eating earlier everywhere. This year, the amount of diners making reservations in the 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. window is double what it was for the same time period in 2019, before the pandemic, according to Yelp data. And about 10% more reservations are now made between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., with 10% fewer between 6 p.m. and midnight. 

So what’s bringing diners in earlier?

“Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are a zoo for happy hour,” said Jeffrey Bank of his Italian and barbecue restaurants in New York and Washington, D.C., where the dining rooms get louder a bit earlier these days. “Extremely busy 4 to 6. And we slow down, like, around 9:30, which is not normal in the restaurant world. Usually you’re a little busy and you get one more turn.”

Bank is CEO of Alicart Restaurant Group. He said in New York, a lot of theaters have changed start times from 8 p.m. to 7 p.m. And in Washington, a lot of government employees are working from home.

“I do think you’re seeing a cultural shift, and I think that started with the pandemic,” he said. “People are just trying to enjoy themselves, I think, differently.”

And they’re enjoying themselves more often. Sales at restaurants and bars surged this summer, with pent-up demand for travel and activities. 

There are lifestyle reasons behind the shift too. 

Helen Veit, a food historian at Michigan State University, said people have become more health-conscious over the past few years. Studies show eating dinner earlier is better for you. And there’s sleep.

“I can imagine people wanting just to get to bed early,” she said.

Earlier dinner means earlier bedtime. Which brings me to something a little personal. At our morning meeting, I told everyone I love this trend. I love eating early and being home in my pj’s by 9 o’clock. And someone (it was Kai Ryssdal) asked, “How old are you?!”

“Early bird specials or senior dining or we see it as childish to eat early,” said Veit. “I think some of those stigmas have gone away.”

What does all this mean for restaurants? Seth Gerber, who co-owns Mida, a restaurant group in Boston, is happy to welcome the early birds. He said it’s especially helpful for his staff.

“A lot of them are relying on public transportation, they’re coming from different areas of the city,” he said. “They’re able to wrap up their nights and make it home at a more reasonable hour.”

More reasonable hours for everyone! Sounds good to me.