With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, a lot of people will likely be headed out to dinner for a romantic meal, and while there may still be some people sticking to their New Year’s resolution to eat healthy, apparently most folks are willing to throw caution to the wind on February 14th.
A new OpenTable survey finds that 71% of Americans plan to dine out for Valentine’s Day this year, and most people won’t be skipping dessert. In fact, 87% say it’s okay to cheat on their diet for that romantic meal, although those in a relationship (90%) are more likely to indulge than those who are single (79%).
And Valentine’s decadence isn’t only calorie related. The survey finds that 44% of Americans expect to splurge and order a pricier menu item than they normally would, with men more likely than women to go for the higher priced option (55% vs. 34%).
As for who’ll be spending Valentine’s Day out, it isn’t just longtime couples. Believe it or not, 50% of Americans think it’s perfectly fine to go out for a meal on Valentine’s Day with someone you’ve been dating less than a month, with 20% willing to have a first date on the most romantic day of the year.
Other findings from the survey:
- 55% of people say that using a cellphone during a Valentine’s Day meal is totally unacceptable, although 71% of Millennials think it’s okay for any reason
- 32% of people think it’s okay to use cellphones for selfies or group photos
- 62% of people say arriving early to dinner with flowers or a gift is a definite mood enhancer
- Using a mobile phone too much was considered the top mood killer (78%), followed by being rude to restaurant staff (76%) and mentioning an ex (68%)
Source: OpenTable