High Roller News
Dallas spends more on dining out than any other city in Texas
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Steak from STK Steakhouse
Dallas is a town of high-rollers when it comes to dining out, and now there is data that proves it's true. A new study called the "Top U.S. Cities for Restaurant Spending" puts Dallas at No. 6, with Dallas-Fort Worth residents spending more than $1,000 on dining out every year.
The study is by Escoffier.edu, the website of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, who conducted an analysis of 22 major U.S. metro areas, pulling data from surveys on food and consumer spending by the USDA and the U.S. Bureau of Labor, to form some conclusions about the dining-out habits of Americans around the country.
They looked at what percentage restaurant spending consumes in total spending versus discretionary spending, as well as restaurant spending per capita.
Dallas is well known as a place where people dine out, so it was a tiny bit disappointing that it did not come in at No. 1 on the list. Instead, that spot was taken by Honolulu, Hawaii, where locals spend a little more than $1,260 per year on dining out at restaurants, the report says.
But despite its 6th-place ranking, DFW does not come in too far behind: We spend up to $1007.58 per year, or about $84 per month.
That total sum represents a sizable 31 percent of a Dallasite's total food expenditures for the year. Locals spend nearly three percent of their total pre-tax income on dining out.
Escoffier says Dallas-Fort Worth has a "strong dining culture" because of its numerous restaurants across many diverse cuisines.
"A mix of Southern comfort food, Tex-Mex, and barbecue plays a major role in why residents frequently dine out," the report's author wretes.
Dallas is full of Michelin-star-worthy eateries, so it's not hard to see why Dallasites wouldn't want to support local restaurants. There are so many new restaurants opening in the city that it can be hard to keep track of them all, but that's where CultureMap comes in to keep locals informed about the latest openings, closings, and other dining news.
Dallas can at least feel proud it was the top city in Texas. The only other city in Texas to make the top 10 is Houston which came in at No. 9, with residents spending about $776 on dining out annually, or nearly $65 monthly.
"While Houston has the lowest per capita spending of the top cities, it leads in restaurant spending as a percentage of total food expenditures, at 31.72 percent," the report said. "The city’s diverse and multicultural food scene, featuring influences from around the world, makes dining out a regular part of life for Houstonians."
The top 10 U.S. metros where residents spend the most on dining out are:
- No. 1 – Honolulu, Hawaii
- No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
- No. 3 – St. Louis, Missouri
- No. 4 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- No. 5 – Baltimore, Maryland
- No. 6 – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
- No. 7 – Denver, Colorado
- No. 8 – San Diego, California
- No. 9 – Houston, Texas
- No. 10 – Tampa, Florida