It looks like the once-beloved doggy bag might be seeing its final days—at least in big cities like New York. Restaurateurs are noticing that diners, especially younger patrons, are ditching their leftovers rather than taking them home. The reasons? Everything from social stigma to the inconvenience of carrying a box around town. “I think maybe it’s embarrassing, like you don’t want to be the equivalent of going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and putting rolls in your dinner jacket,” says Emmett Burke, owner of two Chicago-style pizzerias in Manhattan. Some see it as a simple matter of convenience—why lug home a cold slice when you can order something fresh tomorrow? Others point to changing dining habits, like a return to food sharing post-pandemic, which makes leftovers a little less appealing. Meanwhile, in cities where most people drive, like Atlanta, the tradition of taking home extra food is still going strong. Are leftovers doomed or just evolving with the times?

Key Points:

• Young diners are less interested in taking home leftovers, possibly due to on-demand food culture and social stigma.
• Public transportation and long commutes make carrying leftovers impractical for many city dwellers.
• Sharing food is more common again, post-pandemic, which makes leftovers feel less desirable.
• Some restaurateurs believe leftovers signal poor portioning, while others see them as a waste-reduction strategy.
• Driving culture keeps leftovers alive—in places like Atlanta, most diners still take their extra food home.
• Certain types of food are less likely to make the cut—for example, no one wants to bring a chicken parm to a nightclub.
• Cultural attitudes play a role: In Thai culture, wasting food is frowned upon, but in the U.S., convenience often wins.

What do you think—do leftovers still have a place in our dining culture, or are doggy bags destined for extinction? 🥡🚫
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