For 30% of Daters, the Free Meal Was the Real Draw

Ask people what they’re hoping to get out of a dinner date, and most will tell you they want to learn more about a potential match and find out whether there’s a romantic spark. For some daters, though, the honest answer tilts a bit more toward gastronomy than romance.

A new survey found that 30% of daters confessed they’d said yes to a romantic dinner invitation purely for the free meal, with zero romantic attraction in the mix, a sign that the “foodie call” phenomenon is on the rise.

Most people say free food or drinks aren’t their main reason for dating, yet our study found a meaningful share who let food drive and shape how they date.

The result arrives at a moment when Americans are feeling the most economic pressure, which raises a question: is that pressure behind this change in dating behavior, or is it simply human nature at work?

It’s Not Only Gen Z: Among Adults 65+, 1 in 4 Have Gone on a Foodie Call

A Wall Street Journal report says Gen Z has spent recent years reviving the traditional dinner date, moving away from the quick coffee dates that millennials popularized. Might part of that renewed enthusiasm be about scoring a free meal? Possibly.

Our data shows young people going on foodie calls at notable rates. Among zillennials (ages 28 to 33) and Gen Z, 32% say they’ve gone on a date only for the free meal, the highest share of any age group.

Younger daters aren’t alone in letting food and drinks sway their dating choices, though. More than 1 in 4 adults (26%) aged 65 and up admitted to it as well. A pattern shows up here: in every age group, at least 25% say they’ve gone on a “foodie call” at least once.

Many assume foodie calls are a product of swipe culture and young people on dating apps. Our data, however, shows daters of every generation taking part at surprisingly similar rates, which hints that foodie calls owe less to generational habits and more to everyday human behavior.

Western Daters Swipe for Supper Most Often, With 35% Owning Up to Foodie Calls

Our sample also revealed important differences by region. Compared with other parts of the country, daters out West were far more willing to say yes to a date when it came with a free meal.

The West came out on top, with 35% admitting they swiped right purely for dinner. The South wasn’t far behind (30%), then the North (26%), with the Midwest (22%) bringing up the rear.

The Midwest had the lowest figure, yet even there over 1 in 5 daters owned up to it, which shows how widespread the foodie call is across the U.S.

It’s hard to overlook that the West’s tilt toward foodie calls roughly matches its economic profile. More than other regions, the West is known for pricey housing and costly cities.

With living costs that high, Westerners are likelier than people elsewhere to struggle with affordability, which could account for their stronger tendency to accept dates for the free food or drinks.

The data can’t formally prove cause and effect, but the pattern does raise the question of whether economic strain and regional dating norms shape motivations like the foodie call.

Going out with someone for the free food and drinks may be nothing new. What our data shows is just how widespread it has become in American dating today.

As singles keep adapting to shifting dating trends, setting clear expectations and a budget may help them save both time and money.

Methodology

We surveyed 1,016 U.S. adults through an online panel. At 95% confidence, the margin of error overall is roughly ±3.1%. Every question was single-choice, and all 1,016 respondents answered each one. Crosstabs for each demographic group (generation, gender, U.S. region, and so on) can be provided on request.