Following the stay-at-home mandates, people are venturing out, trying to figure out what they're comfortable doing as they seek a sense of normalcy and return to at least some of their old habits. Once leaving the house, however, face masks and social-distancing regulations have become the so-called "new normal," completely changing the way we interact with the world around us. There's also a stance that some are taking the state mandates for face coverings and keeping six feet apart more seriously than others.

As Louisiana continues to reopen businesses and increase capacity in places such as restaurants, how often (or not) are people back to visiting their favorite food spots in person? And are some people practicing better safety precautions than others during the pandemic? A study on age groups and gender taken by Zenreach shows that the answer to that question is clear: No single age group or gender has been more notably irresponsible than another, as a whole. Nonetheless, the restaurant industry has had to adapt to changes in how their service is provided to customers, whether for deliveries, takeout orders, or in-person.

Marketing company Zenreach conducted a study that examined how foot traffic patterns and population data have impacted the restaurant industry during the global pandemic. The study showed that, not surprisingly, restaurants are receiving fewer customers in person since the pandemic began, but lately, there is an upturn in visitors and foot traffic. While gender and age do not play a role in who is best protecting themselves, visitors to restaurants nonetheless vary by gender and age. The increase in the number of restaurant customers since April can be broken down like this:

• Early 20s customers, increased by 10 %
• Late 20s to 30s customers, by 12 %
• Late 30s to 40s customers, by 14 %
• Mid 40s to 60+ increased by 18 %

The study also showed that the number of female visitors to restaurants has risen by 18% and men visitors by 12% since April of this year.

So, alhtough foot traffic from customer visits has expanded a little as of late, foot traffic and visiting businesses in-person is still down overall since the start of the pandemic. Through Zenreach's study, evidence shows that while age and gender can show a difference in the frequency of restaurant visits now, no particular generation, based solely on their age or gender, differs in how individual's are protecting themselves and others though current health guidelines. We are all playing a role in maintaining health and safety regulations and need to take the proper health and safety precautions, so continue to wear a mask, social-distance, and stay safe!