Bacon and Kale Are Dead, According to Survey

Zagat recently released the results of its 2015 National Dining Trends Survey. According to a press release, the survey takes a look at "the habits and preferences" of over 10,700 diners across 17 major American cities including Chicago, New York, Denver, and Los Angeles. Survey participants were asked everything from what is the most irritating part of dining out to their feelings about bacon. Below the 12 most interesting results:

1) $39.40: The national average of what a person will spend on dinner at a restaurant. The number is significantly higher in NYC ($48.15), and much lower in Austin ($25.81).

2) Most diners favor Italian cuisine over all others, although diners in Austin and Minneapolis prefer American food.

3) 61 percent of diners make their reservations online. The numbers are especially high in Washington, D.C. (76 percent), Minneapolis (76 percent), Chicago (72 percent), and San Francisco (70 percent).

Nearly four percent of those surveyed have dined-and-dashed.

4) Americans eat nearly 50 percent of their lunches and dinners at restaurants — dine-in or take-out. New Yorkers eat those meals out the most (56 percent) while those in Portland eat those meals out the least (38 percent).

5) When picking a new restaurant, diners almost always decide where they will dine based on the restaurant's menu. They also care heavily about consumer reviews on sites like Yelp.

6) Running a cash-only business could hurt restaurants: Between 40 and 56 percent of people were less inclined to dine at a restaurant if it was cash-only.

7) Nearly four percent of those surveyed have dined-and-dashed.

Courtesy of Zagat

8) 81 percent of diners in the U.S. have sent a dish back to the kitchen; 81 percent have also eavesdropped on the table next to them.

9) Surprise, surprise, diners in Portland are still gung-ho about the farm-to-table trend: 88 percent say that they love it.

10) Most diners still love or don't mind Brussels sprouts. Only 18 percent of people on average nationwide are "over it."

11) The majority of people are done with bacon however, especially Minneapolis where 50 percent of diners are completely over it. Only 28 percent nationwide still love bacon on everything.

12) People are equally tired of kale. Just 27 percent of diners across the national love the leafy green. However, some are still obsessed with it enough to name their child after it.

Courtesy of Zagat