Survey Finds Chick-fil-A is the Top First-Date Choice for Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas 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 Lone Star 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%). 

“It seems we’re all still very aware of the cost of living and how that impacts our budgets,” says Amber Brooks, senior editor at DatingNews.com. “The good news is how keen people seem to be to accept going on a cheaper first date, showing that romance doesn’t need to involve spending lots of money!”