Guest Columnist
Choe Ford
Survey Finds Chick-fil-A is the Top First-Date Choice for California Men
One of the nicest things about going on a date is the prospect of a delicious dinner over which you can get to know each other more deeply. However, times are a little tighter than they might have been a few years ago, and dinner for two somewhere a little bit fancy will likely not leave much change from $100, possibly even $200. Is it acceptable to suggest a first date somewhere cheaper?
DatingNews decided to run a survey of 3,000 men to find out whether any would be happy to trade fine dining for fast dining to dodge the high-cost hurdle of a first date and ask their intended out to a fast food restaurant instead… because, practically speaking, love doesn’t always have to be about champagne and oysters - right?!
The survey found that, perhaps unsurprisingly, over half (54%) of California men would love to be let off the high-cost dating hook and would definitely have no problem taking a woman out on a first date to somewhere like McDonalds. The survey also found that a lot of women would be fine with this! Two-thirds said that if they were asked out on a first date to a fast food restaurant, they would go - after all, it’s all about getting to know someone better, and a lot of the time the portions are bigger in a fast food place than they would be at a fine dining restaurant, so that’s a bonus, too!
DatingNews also wanted to find out exactly what kind of fast food these romantic men would plan to woo their date with: would it be a kiss over a KFC bucket, a Taco Bell serenade, or just a classic McDate? The clear winner among California men was Chick-fil-A - they overwhelmingly picked this chain as their top choice. McDonalds was the next most popular choice. A minority of men from the Golden State wanted to make their first date feel like a queen - a Dairy Queen, that is, choosing this chain as their third favorite option.
So what on earth might make women more likely to agree to such a budget-friendly first date? The survey found that 41% said it would be the prospect of good vibes - as long as their partner made it fun. 40% appreciated the honesty of someone who was real about their budget (or lack of it), while 19% were down for something low-cost that still tasted good. And to make it cheaper still, 56% of people would be happy to split the bill at a fast food restaurant with their date.
DatingNews also asked what go-to, budget-friendly date ideas people had. Top of the list was a coffee shop date, with over a quarter (26%) advocating for caffeine-fueled romance, followed by a movie marathon with takeout at home for 24%. 23% would be happy with a food truck hop and a walk around town, while 15% were into the idea of eating out at a fast food chain. The bottom of the list was a picnic with items off the dollar menu (12%).