New data suggests millennials are more frequently turning to apps to have a professionally-cooked meal from the comfort of their own home.

Lunchtime business was steady at Northern Chicken on Wednesday, but a big portion of its traffic was drivers who work for online services like Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats.

Head Chef Matt Phillips estimated online orders constitute almost 26 per cent of the restaurant’s business now.

“It's the convenience, right?  We're that one-click generation,” explained one customer, Levi Zimmerman.

Zimmerman ate out Wednesday—but said he uses apps to order in every week.

A recent study by Abacus Data showed 59 per cent of people who had food delivered to their home in the last month were millennials.

While just seven per cent used a third-party app to do so, millennials accounted for 25 per cent.

“I think it is a concern, if you’re a restaurant owner,” said Ottawa-based David Coletto of Abacus Research. “I think you lose control over the quality of the experience.”

Northern Chicken’s Phillips echoed this, saying the restaurant works hard to provide an ambiance.

“None of that happens when we do Skip the Dishes.”

He added: “But income is great. It's hard to walk away from that kind of money.”

The research may concern other eateries. According to statistics, young people will begin to increase their use of Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats even more.

“If everyone keeps doing that,” said Phillips, “it’s going to be tough to keep staff in the building.”

However, the polling firm found millennials eat more food from restaurants, and are willing to spend more doing so. Abacus called it an opportunity for restaurants to adapt and offer unique experiences that can’t be found at home.

“They’re forcing restaurants to change, but all the data I see says that this is actually a great time to be in the restaurant business,” Coletto said.

Which is why Wednesday found Zimmerman eating at Northern Chicken, rather than his apartment.

“The big thing is the atmosphere, right? This place has an atmosphere to it.”

With files from Bill Fortier