Italian Beats Out French, Fondue As Most Popular Cuisne Choice for Valentine's Day 2013

Restaurant.com Survey Uncovers Trends For Dining's Popular Holiday

Restaurant.com, the nation's largest dining deals site, reveals details about diners' plans for restaurant romance this Valentine's Day. A recent survey by the company found that nearly half (49 percent) of respondents selected Italian as the cuisine of choice for a Valentine's Day meal over romantic rivals fondue (12 percent) and French (11 percent).

More than half of respondents (52 percent) also consider a meal at an Italian restaurant the most romantic option overall, followed by French (22 percent) and Fondue (15 percent). Lovebirds planning a romantic date should avoid tortillas and seaweed: Mexican food (44 percent) and sushi (34 percent) were deemed the least romantic cuisines.

Dining out is a key ingredient in the recipe for romance this Valentine's Day; three out of four survey respondents (75 percent) indicated they plan to celebrate with a meal at a restaurant this year. They won't plan ahead though; 42 percent said they won't make dining plans until the week of Valentine's Day, with 32 percent waiting until Valentine's Day itself to plan their date. Just 22 percent of respondents said they will make Valentine's Day dining plans several weeks in advance.

Additional Restaurant.com Valentine's Day dining survey findings include:

• More Money on a Meal – 64 percent of survey respondents state they will spend more money on Valentine's Day than on a typical dining occasion. 
• Just Desserts – Nearly three out of four survey respondents (73 percent) confirm they are more likely to order dessert on Valentine's Day than during a normal dining occasion; while 46 percent are more likely to order appetizers; 42 percent are more likely to order wine; and 40 percent are more likely to order expensive entrees. 
• Check Please – The majority of respondents peg their estimated Valentine's Day meal check to fall into the $50-$100 range, with only four percent planning to spend $150 or more. 
• Cost-Conscious Cupids – More than six out of ten respondents (61 percent) agree they admire the savvy saving techniques of a Valentine's date that leverages a dining coupon (a mere 2 percent said it would be a turn off). 

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Love Is In The Air! Romance and Engagement Survey Tells All!

Who's more romantic? Should the woman propose? When do I change my Facebook relationship status? How much money to spend? Are "Man-gagement" rings legit?

The questions are endless when it comes to love, romance and engagements; and yes, men and women have different perspectives. As we enter February, the second most popular month to propose marriage (after December), Steve Elliott Marketing Research conducted an online survey for Robbins Brothers to gauge trends and preferences for dating and popping the question. 

Here are some interesting facts to consider during the "season of love": 

• Long gone are the days of women waiting for men to propose marriage, and according to the survey, 30% of women and over 40% of men think it's perfectly okay for women to pop the question instead. 
• What really makes the engagement official? 80% say the ring seals the deal. 
• Men need love too. Over 60% want to be told and shown that they are loved. More than twice as many men as women want to be told daily. 
• Over half of men admit to getting married for good ole fashion love as opposed to sex, social pressure, good health and family. 
• Social Media clearly plays an important role in one's engagement announcement. Half of respondents say they would update their Facebook status right away after a proposal. 75% say within a week. 
• Think engagement rings for men are ridiculous? Definitely reconsider. Two-thirds of men are open to the idea of wearing one. 
• Contemplating how to execute the perfect proposal? Over half of respondents would accept an electronic proposal but nearly 75% prefer a quiet intimate dinner for two as the ideal setting. 
• Romance is still the main desired ingredient in a marriage proposal. One out of every three wishes their proposal could have been more fanciful. 
• Living in a world where reality shows rule the tube, 2 out of every 3 surveyed said they would allow their proposal to be recorded and posted on YouTube. In fact, one out of every 10 would actually propose via YouTube. 
• More men than women think the marriage proposal needs to be a surprise. 
• At the end of the day, Love conquers all. Even with a weak economy, getting married and buying a home are still considered a priority amongst half of respondents. 

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OpenTable Survey Reveals Valentine's Day Dining Trends

According to a new survey released today by OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, restaurants are poised to be busy with diners celebrating love not only on Thursday, February 14, but on the weekend following Valentine's Day. OpenTable diners also indicated that they plan to celebrate love in a big way with a projected check average of $139, which is 63 percent more than the typical OpenTable check average of $85 per couple. The survey results also provided a peek into dating habits and trends related to the busiest holiday for dining out.

"The idea of a romantic Valentine's Day meal often conjures up images of lavish tasting menus, enchanting small plates, and prix fixe menus," said Caroline Potter , Chief Dining Officer of OpenTable. "However, our survey revealed some surprising insights into how people want to celebrate Valentine's Day and an indication of romantic trends to come. Diners prefer a la carte ordering in a classic three-course meal where they can personalize their experience."

Long Weekend of Love

• 51 percent of respondents said they plan to dine out on the Thursday, February 14, while 36 percent said they plan to celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, February 15, or Saturday, February 16.
• 5 percent of diners said they plan to celebrate on Wednesday, February 13.
• 8 percent of respondents plan on dining out more than once for Valentine's Day.

Positive Reviews and Ambiance Matter Most

• Respondents indicated that the top three factors in selecting a restaurant for Valentine's Day are positive reviews (34%), romantic ambience (27 %) and service (16%).
• Less important attributes included restaurant location (14%), special Valentine's Day menus (8%) and the quality of the wine list (1%).

Most Desirable Menus

• When presented with menu options, diners said they prefer A la Carte (67%) over Prix Fixe (33%) menus.
• Traditional menus came out on top with the majority of diners (56%) saying they would select a classic three-course meal (starter, entrée, and dessert).
• Others preferred sharing several small plates (23%), feasting only on entrees (13%) or enjoying an extensive menu (8%).

Romance and Restaurants Go Hand in Hand

• 21 percent of diners said they would go on a first date on Valentine's Day, while 42 percent said that Valentine's Day dining is reserved for those dating for a month or two.
• The remaining 37 percent of respondents think that dining on the most romantic day of the year should be reserved for those who have been dating at least 3 months.
• 71 percent of diners said that only some PDA is appropriate on the most romantic day of the year, while 21 percent think Valentine's Day is all about the PDA. Still, 8 percent said that PDA in a restaurant is never appropriate.

Check, Please!

• Put your phone away! 56 percent of women and 61 percent of men say talking and texting at the table is the biggest dining faux pas a date can commit.
• Being rude to wait staff was the second biggest no-no for 32 percent of women and 28 percent of men.

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