Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Restaurants tapped that longing for connection when it opened The Olive Garden chain of Italian eateries. They can't get enough of restaurants that provide them with that feeling of security and home-style cooking. And boomers eat a lot. But for this generation, not just any food will do. They are an exceedingly well-educated group when it comes to eating.
Boomers know cholesterol and calorie counts.
They know the value of fresh ingredients. Their sophisticated palates also know gourmet foods, international cuisines and the difference between chardonnay and cabernet, having grown up with Julia Child and her numerous TV successors. The generation that triumphed over the Great Depression and built the suburbs and shopping malls of the American middle class is a dwindling group. They still eat out and, based on increased life expectancy, will continue to do so longer than previous generations. Matures are not a hedonistic group.