Diners flocking to happy hour, ordering appetizers and skimping on entrees as affordability hits US restaurants nationwide

Wallet-conscious diners are heading to happy hour for dinner and ordering appetizers instead of entrees as increasing anxiety about affordability slams restaurants nationwide, The Post has learned.

Last month, Ryan Gerding, a marketing executive in Kansas City, Missouri, showed up early for dinner with his wife at Martin City Brewery, a local watering hole. They shared meatball sliders, pretzel bites and chicken wings along with a 2-for-1 beer coupon and a cocktail.

The total bill was $51.31 versus the $75 they have typically spent on dinner, Gerding told The Post.

“It’s a fun thing that we are able to do more of because we are taking advantage of the lower prices during happy hour and because apps don’t cost as much as entrees,” Gerding told The Post.

“When we are at the bars – and so