More consumers are dining out, despite elevated inflation, and they are actually paying up for experiences.

"After two years of lockdowns and restrictions, consumers are eager to return to celebrating special events with friends and family at restaurants where they know they will be well taken care of," Yelp VP of Product Anthony Cross told YahooFinance.

According to Yelp's newly published State of the Restaurant Industry Report, experience-dining options like conveyor sushi, dinner theater, internet cafes, supper clubs, and themed cafes all saw significant increase: These categories were up 500%, 240%, 200%, 200%, and 75%, respectively.

More than 13 million diners were seated via Yelp during Q1 2022, according to Yelp, a rise of 48% compared to the year-ago quarter. And inflation is still on the minds of diners: Yelp reviews mentioning increased prices rose for the quarter (+25%).

Searches for reservations on the app also saw a noteworthy uptick, rising 107% year-over-year. Indoor dining searches shot up 6,360% amid easing COVID-19 restrictions while outdoor dining searches remained strong, up 1,060% over the same time period.

"100% we're back to where we were pre-pandemic," André Vener, a partner at national hot dog eatery Dog Haus, told Yahoo Finance. "People who were stuck at home for two years want to come out and socialize."

Vener emphasized that his brand has focused more heavily on the overall dining experience, too, as price hikes become more and more inevitable.

"What we're doing differently is we're trying to have the best customer experience possible," Vener said, stressing clean restaurants, a "perfect" playlist, and top notch service. "That way, people will say, 'Hey, I had a good time there.' Rather than looking at a receipt, they're looking at an experience."

Takeout demand for the quarter, although 31% less than last year, was still up 107% versus Q1 2020 and up 144% compared to Q1 2019 — demonstrating that "takeout has become a pandemic trend that may be here to stay," according to Yelp.